Changer of Fate
by xalent
Summary: The final battle ended with Harry victorious, but the price was the world. Everyone and everything he loved is gone. But what happens when Harry is given the chance to start over? Full summary inside. Early chapters are receiving revisions.
1. The Only One Left

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. Just copies of the book.

**Summary: **At the end of the final battle, Harry Potter succeeded in killing Voldemort, but is left alone. Everyone is dead. Everyone. Just when he was about to give up, Harry is given a chance to relive the last seven years of his life not as The-Boy-Who-Lived, but a normal eleven-year-old wizard with a normal family. However, no matter how you look at it, Harry Potter is far from normal. His magical powers are beyond the range of humans and he retains the knowledge of his life as The-Boy-Who-Lived. Although Fate has been written, Harry wields the power to alter it. Will Harry use his powers to aid Neville Longbottom, who replaced him as The-Boy-Who-Lived, defeat Voldemort, or will Harry destroy Voldemort before the Dark Lord has a chance to ruin his life?

**Warning: For new readers, the characters of this story have almost nothing to do with canon. In fact, majority of them are OOC the entire time and all they have in common with canon is perhaps the name. If you are searching for something closely related to canon, don't bother reading it. You probably would not like it. As for the grammar and English, it's nowhere near perfect. I do have betas now, but they are working on editing chapters after 16. **** For chapters 1 through 16, I don't have anyone betaing it at the moment so ****if you are the type of the person who notices the tiniest of grammar errors, you might not enjoy it very much as you will notice the errors scattered all over the place. If anyone wishes to look over these chapters for error, please either PM me or email me at stomachofholding (at) gmail. **

* * *

Chapter 01 – The Only One Left

* * *

A man stood on the scorched and barren earth frozen in shock. He had deep raven black hair, dazzling emerald green eyes, a well toned medium build body and a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. All that he held on his right hand was a shattered wand. Blood trickled down his arm where the wooden splinters pierced his arm, but pain from the wound hardly bothered him. Instead, he was lost in his thoughts of the events that passed in the last few moments.

* * *

"Who do you think you are, boy?" a cold voice snarled. A green jet blasted from his wand at a seventeen-year-old boy. "Do you think that just because you are named The-Boy-Who-Lived that you can defeat me? The great Lord Voldemort?" 

"Yeah, I do," Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, replied with a heavy voice. He was tired and this battle was taking too many lives. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger had fallen moments earlier, both dying as he held them in his arms. His two best friends. They were with him when it all began seven years ago on a train to Hogwarts. They were also the ones who were with him in the journey to destroy the Horcruxes of Voldemort. Seven years have they been together. Seven years. It was too short of a time.

Blades of lighting fired from Harry's left hand without much effort in Harry's part. Voldemort dodged the best he could, but there were too many. Several slammed into his body sending shocks of electricity numbing his body temporarily. It was true that Voldemort was a powerful wizard, and the most powerful after the death of Albus Dumbledore, but Harry had grown strong. Stronger than he ever imagined possible.

For Harry, he always had this power. It did not manifest on one of his birthdays like other powers. This was a power he was born with. It wasn't until after the death of Dumbledore that Harry began to master this power. With the destruction of each Horcrux, Harry became stronger. It took precise control of magic to destroy a Horcrux without damaging oneself, and the spell was one not of magic done with a wand. It was ancient magic, the same magic that allowed Harry to command the spells in his arsenal without a wand.

Harry waved his left hand before him and conjured several fireballs before blasting them at Voldemort. Harry was relentless in his attack, firing spell after spell. Breaking through Voldemort's defenses one after another. Injuring the Dark Lord time after time. Determination burned in his mind and Harry was not going to allow Voldemort to live after this day. Even if it took his own life. Not that Harry's life mattered anymore. His two best friends were dead. A Godfather. A mentor. And many--no. And too many others.

"You're a fool then!" Voldemort cried out as he fired off three more Killing Curses in the short break Harry gave him. Voldemort was never pushed into a corner before. Not even in the duels with Dumbledore. If anything, Voldemort dueled evenly with Dumbledore. However, Harry was pushing Voldemort back and was doing so with very little effort in Harry's part. It took everything just to avoid Harry's spells.

"I'm not a fool, Tom," Harry spat back coldly. He knew he was winning. Harry easily dodged the curses and lunged forward directly at Voldemort. Using his left hand, Harry missile after missiles of condensed light that ate away at Voldemort's flesh upon contact. When Harry got close enough, he raised his wand up to Voldemort's chest and screamed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" at the same time as the Dark Lord.

Instead of a green jet blasting out of Harry's wand, an unexpected reaction occurred. His wand exploded as did Voldemort's. Harry's wand tore open a hole in Voldemort's chest and suddenly, a green ring of flames appeared around them. In one second, the flame expanded far beyond the horizon and a red flame returned. A loud sound of explosion rang a second later and by this time, Harry knew the world had been leveled.

* * *

_Leveled?_ The man asked himself. Yes. He is Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. He had just killed the darkest wizard of his time, but only to destroy the entire Earth in the process. He wanted to scream, but his voice would not come. He wanted to cry, but no tears would form. He wanted to collapse to the ground and hold his hands to his face, but his body would not respond. He wanted to kill himself, but his magic does not harm him. His wand was destroyed as well, and by the looks of things, so was every other wand in the world. 

Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. Now he was The-One-Who-Survived. The last human-- no; the last living being on the face of this barren planet. There wasn't even a drop of water after the blast. This battle should have taken his life, not the world! As Harry looked around, he could see nothing but emptiness for miles all around. Everything he had fought for was now gone. Everything except abstract ideas like justice, good and evil.

"Did good prevail over evil?" Harry asked aloud, but the only answer he found was silence. "I was a warrior of the light, a soldier following the codes of an ideal 'good' person. Voldemort was the leader of the dark, one who walked the path of 'evil' and wished to spread it to all the corners of the Earth. Voldemort is dead, killed by my hands. 'Evil' has been banished by 'Good'. But the cost of this victory was the world. Where is the 'justice' in it? Or did I fail? Did I help Voldemort achieve his goal by destroying him? In the end, did 'Evil' triumph over 'Good'?"

There were so many questions and not enough answers. All there was around Harry was emptiness and silence. "Nothing but charred dirt to answer my questions..." Harry grunted as he kicked angrily at the ground. It was then that Harry noticed that the ground was harder than usual. Kneeling down, Harry examined the ground beneath him and found it to be cold. Considering that the surface was just scorched clean of life, the ground felt too cold.

To instantly burn everything it touched into ash, the flame had to have been immensely hot. The temperature would be at such a degree in which approaching it would leave anything near it incinerated. _Then how did I survive unscathed? _Harry wondered as he looked down at himself to see no indication of burns anywhere on his body. The only wounds he had were on his right arm where splinters of what remained of his wand pierced Harry's arm.

"Why was I saved?" Harry asked aloud. "Why was I unharmed? WHY DID I NOT DIE WITH EVERYONE ELSE?"

Angry at his survival, Harry slammed his right fist into the ground. There was no pain on impact, so Harry slammed it again. Still, no pain. Again Harry punched and again until a crimson red spot of blood marked the ground and the skin covering his knuckles tore away. Still, Harry felt no pain. Nothing.

No, Harry was in pain. So much pain that physical pain had no effect upon him. His heart ached with such intensity that his nervous system went numb. His soul and spirit had shattered and Harry could do nothing to revive it. Nothing.

"Let me die…" Harry pleaded as he clawed at his right arm hoping to draw out more blood. "Let me die and burn for eternity in hell for my sins…"

But no matter how much Harry pleaded, no one answered him. All there was around him was emptiness and silence. "So, is this my punishment? To live and suffer for the rest of eternity? To never die but instead walk alone on this barren planet I destroyed? To watch every day go by while nothing changes until I become insane from solitude?" Harry demanded in a loud cry that echoed through the empty world.

"God, if you are out there, or if you even exist, I beg of you to hear my voice and my plea," Harry said calmly as he looked up into the sky. It was still blue like how it always was. There were no clouds in the sky, but the moon was there. "I know I have never believed in you before. I know I have always doubted Your existence and for that I would gladly spend an eternity in hell. So, will You grant me my selfish wish of dying such that I can enter Your fiery domain and suffer for eternity there?"

For a long while, Harry just waited in silence for a response. Any kind of response. Even a time of death would be welcomed at this moment or even a condemnation. Anything. Harry just wanted something to be there so he would know that he was not alone in the world, but the truth of the matter was that Harry was alone. Alone because of what he had done. Alone because to kill and destroy Voldemort, Harry had been willing to give everything. Harry had given into his carnal instincts and wished for Voldemort's death for any price. He wished it so much that it came true.

"Damn myself for losing myself," Harry cursed. "Damn myself for not keeping it together. But how could I? I had just witnessed Ron and Hermione's death right before my eyes. I watched as Voldemort killed them both…" And so Harry's thoughts traveled back to when his two best friends died.

* * *

Harry hit the ground as he killed Nott senior with an ice spear he conjured and shot into the man's chest. It pierced his right lung while pinning him to the wall. The spear then slowly proceeded to freeze Nott giving him a slow and painful death. "That was for Ginny," Harry spat as he looked at the now frozen Nott. 

As Harry turned to move towards the center of the battlefield, a sharp pain filled his left side. Harry spun his head around to see a lizard like creature standing on two armed with a spear which pierced his left side. _A kobold… _Harry muttered in his thoughts as he sliced his left arm across while using his magic to form a blade of ice which decapitated the kobold easily. With one motion, Harry pulled out the spear from his side only to fall over drained of strength.

"Did you think I would let you survive so easily?" a cold voice laughed as footsteps approached from behind. "The spear tip was coded with a paralyzing poison, courtesy of the now deceased traitor, Severus Snape. You could never tell which side he was on. Or perhaps that slimy git was on his own side the entire time. Either way, he had his uses and is now lying disfigured in a tomb somewhere in another dimension or something."

"Poison?" Harry spat as he conjured his strength to stand, but it was no use. Harry could feel the poison spread quickly through his body. With his magic, Harry suppressed the spreading enough so he could sit up and maneuver himself to a meditating position. "I guess Snape's a pain in the ass even after death," Harry joked easily as he used his magic to identify the poison.

"Indeed," Voldemort agreed as he walked up to Harry. "I lost my most valuable experiment because of him. And a few good supporters. You see, Snape was in charge of creating a changeling army for me. One that could change from a human form to a draconic form and one that would obey my orders without fail. Our specimen was none other than Draco Malfoy."

"Is that why you ordered Theodore to kill him?" Harry asked, hoping the question would provide him with more time to identify then purge the poison from his body.

"I know you hope to stall time, but I will allow that," Voldemort spoke with a smile. "You will never figure out the poison. Snape designed it with that goal in mind. Now, back to my story, yes, I ordered Theodore to kill Draco. And he succeeded so I proceeded to use Draco as a lab rat for this changeling experiment. But instead of making an obedient soldier, what I received was a failed prototype that turned on me and killed several of my high ranking soldiers and destroying parts of my research."

"So Snape was a pain in both of our asses," Harry laughed. "That slimy old git was the con man of con men. But enough of the dead. Why don't you just kill me now? I'm vulnerable at the moment and I doubt you would ever get another chance like this one."

"I suppose I could kill you now. Yes, you are so very vulnerable at the moment, but that is not what I want. No, I you to suffer. So I prepared a little surprise for you," Voldemort answered with a sly smile. From behind him two ogres brought forth two prisoners Harry immediately recognized. "Yes, I thought you might recognize them. Ronald Weasley, child of a bloodtraitor and Hermione Granger, the filthy Mudblood."

"Harry, just run!" Hermione cried out as she tried to break free from her giant captor, but it was no use. She was not only diminutive compared to the ogre, but outmatched in strength as well.

"Yeah, mate. Run," Ron agreed as he was forced to his knees. "The two of us will probably die in the next few moments, but you have to live, Harry. Sorry to sound cliché in the worst of times, but _you _are out last and only hope."

"No!" Harry adamantly refused as he drew magic from all around to destroy the poison in his body. _They would not suffer in my place! _Harry cried out in his mind as he felt the effects of the poison diminish.

"Such faith and conviction coming from two who had suffered immense torture just moments earlier," Voldemort laughed as both Ron and Hermione looked away. "You looked shocked, Potter, although it's to be expected. The poison shows you only what you want to see, rather than what is really there. Let me clear your eyes to see past the clouds that the poison induced."

Suddenly, Harry felt something stir inside of his eyes as his vision blurred. When he regained focused, what he saw before him was not two prisoners in perfect health. Harry turned from one to another, shocked at what he was seeing. He wondered if his eyes were deceiving him and switched between the two trying to see something he was not, but Harry soon realized what Voldemort had stated about the poison was true.

So, Harry turned to Ron and saw a battered body wearing what remains of his torn clothes. Bruises covered his face and his right eye was swollen. Both arms were broken while the right hand was missing all his fingers. There were cuts and gashes all across his chest, but they were all mended enough to keep Ron from bleeding to death.

As for Hermione, she was wearing a torn shirt and dress and using her arms and legs to cover the parts of her body that were exposed. Blood trickled down her lips as unending tears were pouring out of her eyes. Her wrists and ankles bore burn marks indicating that she had been bound at one point. Long red lines appeared all across her body.

"You know, I had fun torturing these two," Voldemort said. "I was amazed at how much they were willing to give to save the other. And the love they have for one another in unparalleled to any other! Unfortunately, it was love that brought their downfall, as it would bring forth yours."

"What did you do to them?" Harry demanded as he now had enough strength to attempt to stand.

"Let's just say I had a bit of fun with both," Voldemort roared in laughter as Ron and Hermione looked away in deep shame. "They were willing to give just about everything to save the other. Everything except you. Why is that? Why would they not give you up when they have so much love for one another? I even offered to spare their lives if I had yours. I was even willing to go as far as to agree to an Unbreakable Vow, but they chose to save yours in exchange for theirs. What makes you so special to inspire such a deep loyalty?"

"Love. I love them both," Harry replied. "It is my ability to love them and keep their friendship that allows me to inspire such loyalty, but why should I bother explaining it to you? You who doesn't even understand the concept. You who mocks the power of such a feeble emotion."

"True, I will never understand, but what I do know is that Love is a double edged sword. These two are proof of that," Voldemort laughed as he drew a knife while walking towards Ron and Hermione.

"Yes, a double edged sword that has continually been my greatest weapons as well as my greatest weakness," Harry agreed. "But Hatred is the same as well. You should know very well how your own hatred has lead to your failings. You should know how hatred sometimes blinded you from the obvious."

"You think hatred could blind me?" Voldemort laughed in mockery.

"Yes. The best course of action is to kill me right now," Harry said as he continuously stumbled to stand, but he was not giving up. Never again would he give up. "If you don't kill me now, you will regret it later."

"Impossible," Voldemort laughed as he moved behind Hermione and pulled her close while placing the blade on her cheek.

"Run!" Hermione cried through her tears. "Run, Harry. Live to fight another day! Live to save the world! Live so you can kick Voldemort's ass seven times over!"

Suddenly, Hermione screamed in pain as a knife entered her stomach. "Silence you stupid wench!" Voldemort ordered as Hermione fell to the ground clenching her stomach. "Well, enough of this bullshit. I'm getting bored." With one motion, Voldemort turned towards Ron and stabbed him in the stomach. "Oh, did I mention that this blade is coated with venom from a Basilisk?"

No, but Harry already knew that. He knew when he first saw the blade, but refused to believe it. It was easily confirmed as Hermione was obviously dying as she lay clenching her stomach. Again, Harry refused to believe it. Ron showed the same symptoms when he was stabbed and Harry still refused to believe it. But when Voldemort confirmed it, Harry finally broke free of his own deception of himself.

"Run…" came a weak cry from Hermione as she was now lying in a pool of her own blood.

"Save the world, Harry," Ron spoke as his body was trembling. "We believe in you…"

Suddenly, Harry felt his body burn like never before. His hatred now consumed him as he stood up and looked at Voldemort with changed eyes. They were no longer the warm loving eyes of a teenager in the transition of becoming a young man. Instead, they were devoid of life like a person with one foot in the grave.

"Goodbye, Harry Potter," Voldemort sneered as he raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

A green jet flew towards Harry, but slammed into an invisible shield of magic that Harry suddenly conjured. Then, Harry absorbed the killing curse into his scar. Immediately, Harry felt his wounds heal and the poison was now purged from his body. Again, a green jet flew at Harry, but he quickly batted the spell away with his left arm.

Voldemort's crimson eyes flew open in shock as he saw streams of blue magic swirl around Harry's left arm. Then, several streams abruptly shot out towards Voldemort and his two ogres. Immediately, Voldemort conjured a shield which blocked the streams, but the impact was so great that it lifted him into the air and sent him flying off. As for his two ogres, they were unfortunate to not have the ability to block magic. The streams shot through the ogres with ease, ripping off large pieces of flesh before it whipped back slashing the ogres into thousands of pieces.

When the ogres were dead, Harry collapsed to the ground, temporarily drained of strength. He had not used that spell for this specific reason. Although it gives Harry a great boost in offensive ability, he would be left completely vulnerable afterwards. But now was not the time to worry about his vulnerability.

"Ron! Hermione!" Harry cried out as he dashed sloppily towards his two best friends and pulling them close to him. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be…" Hermione said with a weak voice.

"You don't… don't need to ask for our for… forgiveness," Ron told Harry with all the strength he could muster.

"We do… don't blame you…" Hermione continued.

"Forgive yourself…" Ron added as he was now out of strength.

"Live… Live for our sake." Hermione finished as she fell limp.

"Find happiness." Ron stated with a smile just before color faded from his eyes.

* * *

"You should learn to live and forgive yourself," a sudden voice spoke causing Harry to jerk up his head. "Your friends want you to do just that instead of wallowing in self-pity and depression." Harry turned to see a tan woman dressed in green. She had a radiant glow about her and walked swiftly to Harry and placed a hand on his right arm. Quickly, the splinters were extracted and the wounds healed. 

"I don't want to be healed," Harry stated flatly.

"Unfortunately, the wish of your friends outweigh your own desire, Harry Potter," the woman said with a gentle and soothing voice. "They wish for you to live, as do I."

"Well, I don't," Harry answered. "So could you do me a favor and just kill me?"

"No, Harry Potter, I cannot do that. It is against my nature to harm a living being that lives on me," the woman replied to Harry's dismay.

"Live on you?" Harry questioned. "You're not making sense, lady."

"Forgive me, Harry Potter, I thought you knew. I am Ergaia, the spiritual embodiment of the planet you call Earth. And it is I who saved you from being killed," the woman responded.

"You should have saved someone else!" Harry cried out in anger. "I don't deserve to live!"

"Contrary to your belief and conviction, you are the only person living on my surface that deserves to live. The reason is, you are one of the two people who have the ability to either revive me into the flourishing planet I once was, or destroy me completely," Ergaia replied. "However, I wish for the latter for I am dying. Thus, I chose to save you in hopes that you would kill me. And maybe, just maybe you would die as well, but that is up to the Counsel to decide."

"And if I choose to save you, would I die?" Harry had to ask.

"Eventually. You would live for a while, unable to die as your power is drained from you to give life to me. When I am revitalized, I will consume your physical being as your spirit transcends to a higher plane as you become immortal. So, in a sense you do die."

"I want to die, so I'll just kill you," Harry told Ergaia coldly.

"Thank you for granting my wish, Harry Potter. If I receive the chance of being reborn, I wish to be with you and travel with you for as long as I can," Ergaia said sincerely before she faded from view.

Destroy Earth completely. Yes, that was what Harry would do. Although there was a chance he would survive, Harry knew this was the only chance he had at dying. So, Harry concentrated on pulling all the magic left in the world. Spikes began to form around him and Harry quickly moved them around the Earth. When they were large enough to exit the atmosphere, Harry plunged the spikes into the ground.

They pierced through the crust of the Earth and entered to the core of the planet and the reaction Harry prayed for occurred. The surface of the Earth began to shake and split. Harry smiled knowing he was destroying the planet he once loved. He hated the planet now. It was a reminder of what he had done. Harry disintegrated every living thing above the Earth's crust, including the bodies of his friends and family. And Harry would die along with the Earth as he should have died with his friends.

Harry also did not want the human race to ever live again. They were arrogant hypocrites who cared nothing about those around them. They worked only to satisfy their greed. They destroyed anyone in their path. As the last human alive, Harry decided it was best that his race would not be reborn through evolution. The universe does not need to be plagued by a race as destructive as humans.

Flames erupted around Harry and lava flowed from the cracks, but the Earth was being torn apart like some meteor ripped through the center. Harry took one last look into the sky and let his emotions flare one last time. Then, in one swift moment, the flames engulfed Harry burning him alive. He was finally dying. He was finally getting his wish.

* * *

Harry woke up to find himself still alive. However, Harry was no longer in the barren Earth he destroyed. He was lying on a patch of soft green grass and surrounded by tall sycamore trees with luscious green leaves. Small critters danced around playfully while searching for food. He could hear the birds singing a sweet tune that he had not heard in years. But no matter how satisfying Harry thought a world filled with life was, he still wanted to die. 

Harry was guilty of committing genocide upon his own race. There was no worse act in the world Harry could think of. He deserved to be killed. And killed over and over until the pain of death numbed. He sat up from the ground and found a thick broken branch. With his magic, Harry sharpened it and tried to plunge it into his throat, but he did not have the courage.

"My, my, my. I go and put all that effort into saving your life and you repay me by killing yourself? You should be ashamed of yourself, Harry Potter." Harry spun around and found himself face to face with a giant bear. It was standing on two legs and held a walking stick in one hand. "Yes, I'm a talking bear. Ha, ha, ha. Now, let's get down to why you are here."

But before the bear could start explaining, Harry interrupted with his own questions. "Who are you? And why am I still alive? I don't deserve to live. Not after what I did."

The bear frowned at Harry wondering why the seventeen-year-old young man would have such a bleak view on his life. "I am Mikhal, Guardian of Earth. Your kind views me as a God of some sort through your stupid religions. I am that powerful, but only a judge. I do not set the laws you are to follow and what not. As for why are you still alive? It is because the higher beings are giving you a chance to live the life you dreamed. And what did you do to not deserve to live? Destroy the Earth? No. The destiny of your planet was to be destroyed regardless of who won the final battle."

Harry let out a short chuckle in disbelief. "Why me? There are far better candidates. Like Hermione Granger. Ronald Weasley. Albus Dumbledore. Sirius Black. Cedric Diggory."

"No. I'm afraid you are the best candidate. You see, Harry, unlike you, none of them lived a life as honest as yours, with the exception of Hermione. But you are the one who fought for what you believed in. All those around you fed you lies and pushed you towards a goal that was not of your choosing. But believe it or not, you chose your own path. If you had not, then you would have never gained control over the powers you have now. Powers everyone hid away from you."

Harry sunk down to the ground in defeat. He knew everything the bear said was true, but he could not bring himself to believe it. The pain and the scars ran too deeply. If only he could erase all his emotions. But Harry wanted to keep the memories. They were all that was left of his world. As much as Harry hated his world, he still cherished the memories.

"Truthfully speaking, Harry, you were chosen to be the next God of this galaxy and Guardian of Earth. This is why you were protected from the blast and the destructive energy of the exploding Earth. You were badly injured and lost the ability to receive any godlike powers, thus I was chosen to replace you. None of the higher beings actually believed you would destroy Earth. Because of your strong sense of will, one that changed the Fate of the entire universe, the higher beings have decided that you should not be selected as a God. For a God cannot change the fate of those he or she is watching over. For some odd reason, they still are giving you the option to become Guardian."

Harry looked at the bear, absorbing all the information as quickly as possible. He found it easy to do so and it did not rack his brains like studying magic at Hogwarts. Then Harry realized that inside his mind, he already had knowledge of this world beyond his own. "What becomes of me then? Am I stuck here for the rest of eternity?"

"No. As I said before, I am here to give you a chance to live the life you dreamed. Well, technically, my mother, Ergaia, gave it to you. When she died, her spirit was allowed audience with the Counsel. There, she asked to give you a chance at a fresh beginning. Although the Counsel disagreed at first, as they could see your desire to die, but my mother's and the spirits of the deceased had a greater desire for you to live. Thus, the Counsel granted their wish allowing you a fresh new start.

"But there was also the fact that you went against the will of the Universe and you destroyed the Earth and altered the fate of the universe. You were destined to revive Earth by giving your power to my mother, Ergaia, to give life to the world again, however, you granted my mothers wish allowing her to die along with her world. For that, I am grateful as well."

"You don't hate me for taking away your mother?" Harry asked in shock.

"No, for I am a part of her that was born on her death. When I look at you, I see you the way my mother saw you. For that reason, I asked the Counsel to give me permission to personally save you from death and be your guide and mentor," Mikhal answered.

"How can you forgive someone who has sinned as deeply as I?"

"Your only sin, Harry Potter, is not having the will to live when there are so many who wish for it. But that is understandable for someone who has gone through the amount of pain you have gone through. Few survive the road you had to travel and even fewer have their sanity in tact. And so far, you are the only one who has turned against destiny to destroy the world you were raised in. Also, you are the first to receive the blessings of a planet spirit for a second life.

"And so this brings me to the main focus of our first conversation. The higher beings decided reversed the flow of time to save Earth. My mother asked not to become a planetary spirit again so she gave birth to a planetary spirit. That is my sister, Tahgaia, but she is still very young so she needs our help to fill this world with life and keep it safe so that one day she will know what to do when the Universe calls her for the aid of humans. Yes, without humans, the universe cannot sustain itself in the future despite your beliefs. But they have decided you should not have to go through the suffering of being unable to save them once more. You will be given the chance to live with your family and away from the cruel fate of The-Boy-Who-Lived."

"Why?" was all Harry could ask.

The bear sighed in disappointment. "You are pretty stupid, aren't you?" Harry had no response and decided it was best to keep any insults to himself. "Well, actually humans are pretty stupid in general. I suppose I should cut you some slack as you did understand majority of it. Harry, you are born with an unbelievable gift that few were ever born with in the history of the universe. Contrary to your belief, the universe has been around for four googol years. Well, there's actually an exact number, but the damn number's is too bloody long.

"Anyways, back to your gift. You are what we call Fate-Breakers, ones who can alter the fate of the world. We are willing to let you life your life again, and taking away your rights to Godhood (as the power the Universe would bestow you would be given to my sister instead to help her grow), so you can change the outcome of this war. You have the power to ensure that The-Boy-Who-Lived of the world we will put you on will not incinerate the surface of the planet in his final battle."

Harry's mind was racing with new prospects and possibilities of what this new world may bring, but he quickly shook those thoughts aside. "I don't want to become God or Guardian anyways, so it isn't much of a loss."

"I thought you might say that," Mikhal chuckled, "but it will take some time before you can live again. First, I will need to erase your emotions freeing you from whatever baggage the battle left you with. Don't worry; you'll retain all your memories as you wished. This way your judgment won't be clouded by a previous life. Second, I will train you so you can master your powers completely. You're powers are incredibly strong, and it will do you well to be able to keep them in check when your emotions take over. Third, I will pass on all information about magic and the true history of Earth to you. And lastly, I will need to pass on memories and feelings of your new life as you will not be born with his piece of your soul."

Harry did not understand what Mikhal was talking about in the last sentence, but Harry was sure it would be explained in one of his future lessons. "How long before I can return to the world," Harry asked, trying to hide his eagerness.

"Five millennia give or take two hundred years."

Harry's jaw dropped like a stone. "Five thousand years?"

"Give or take two hundred years," Mikhal repeated. "You did not expect the knowledge is something that could be passed on in a day or two, did you?"

"Actually, I did," Harry replied honestly which gave the bear a laugh. "I though you were going to insert it into my mind or something."

"I am. But there is far too much information to insert in one day. All the information in your head was facts I place into your mind while you were recovering from your wounds."

"How long did that take?"

"Eighteen hundred years. Oh, and by years, I mean universal years which is equivalent to ten and a half Earth years. That's a ridiculous amount of time, isn't it?" Mikhal laughed as Harry nodded. "Well, get off the ground. It's time for training." Harry complied and followed the Guardian of Earth through the forest.

"Thank you," Harry said to his new guide. "Thank you for giving me a chance to redeem myself and show me how I can live again."

* * *

**Author's Note: **There have been quite a few reviews regarding Harry and keeping a **_low profile_** so I will say this now to keep new readers from telling me about how Harry is not keeping a low profile. He won't. I never planned for Harry to keep a low profile and there really is no point in having Harry hide away in the darkness without ever showing himself. Plus he's already famous in the world as you will soon see. The warning was only to tell Harry not to use his powers wildly to attract unwanted attention (like Voldemort and the Death Eaters that have hidden away). 


	2. The Letter

Chapter 02 – The Letter

* * *

**Author's Note: **For those of you who do not understand Mikhal (the walking talking bear), he's an OC I created to help Harry. He's the current Guardian of the world, which is much like a God, but I have God's as rulers of a Galaxy. In terms of power, God's are far stronger and Harry was once a candidate for becoming a God. Since Harry wishes to live as a normal human, Mikhal help Harry achieve it while watching over Earth making sure the world is kept in balance and in order. There are also higher ranking beings that will surface later, and I will clear things up when they are introduced. I hope this gives you a better understanding about Mikhal.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, five thousand universal years passed by fairly quickly. There was never a dull moment in Harry's life as he traveled the universe meeting other races, most of which looked down upon humankind, while absorbing the material Mikhal gave him. The emotions of his life were erased completely allowing Harry to review his life as an unbiased historian. Harry was able to see things he never saw before, like Dumbledore's manipulative self and Snape's kindness. Ron was a bloody git while his view on Hermione remained unchanged. She was a bossy know-it-all and that was how Hermione would be forever remembered. It was the bossiness of Hermione that kept Ron's hidden personality in check. 

It saddened Harry that while he had all this knowledge, he would not be able to access it until his fifteenth birthday. It was determined that Harry's brain would mature enough to allow this vast knowledge to manifest itself in Harry's mind. Also, Harry's body would not be able to tolerate the immense strain of using the magic he knew how to command now. Mikhal stated that normally they would wait until Harry was seventeen, but by then this knowledge would be far too useless. The plus side was since he had majority of his knowledge sealed, Harry could retain all the knowledge of magic as it was more of a feeling than a memory. Spells, potions, runes and what not, Harry could remember them all even if he did not have the power to use it.

When all was said and done, the time for Harry to return to Earth arrived. Mikhal knew this day would come and was proud to have taught Harry for so long. The never aging bear and young man found their way back to the Moon where they watched the Earth rotate. "I guess this is goodbye," Harry said weakly.

"No. I will always be watching over you. Just start talking to yourself and I'll find a way to answer," Mikhal replied. "Tahgaia will be here too, as she will always be. Although she can't manifest herself on the physical plane yet, she'll still be able to come to you if you ever need help."

"People will think I'm mad," Harry joked as the two friends laughed.

"Remember, Harry, the people of your memories are not the same people as the people you will meet. Some of them will remain the same, but others will change drastically. And do try to keep a low profile," Mikhal told Harry his last piece of advice.

"I will try, but you know me. I can't seem to stay away from trouble. Or rather trouble can't seem to stay away from me," Harry said with a grin.

"You're not even going to try to stay out of trouble, are you?" Mikhal asked with a disappointed sigh. "You enjoy it too much."

"You know me!" Harry said with a wide smile.

"Unfortunately I do," Mikhal rolled his eyes. "You say you will try and will keep to your word. But the most you would do is try; but success would never be your goal."

"Right on the spot!" Harry laughed as Mikhal shook his head.

"You were never one to stay out of trouble. Trouble seems to follow you wherever you go and you seem to enjoy it's company," Mikhal continued.

"Yes. I must confess that I do enjoy Trouble's company. It makes life more interesting, you know? Spices up my life and keeps me on my feet at all times."

"Or you seek it out to hide your own pain. Do not think I can't see through you, Harry Potter. You may be older than me by seventeen years, but we both know that compared to how long we have been alive, that is nothing."

"You intelligence and wisdom never fails you, does it, Mikhal?" Harry asked his long time companion.

"No, it never fails. That is my privilege as a Guardian," Mikhal answered.

"Lucky for you," Harry said in a nonchalant tone. "Well, good luck with your Guardian business without me around to be your errand boy. Actually, why is it that I'm the errand boy when I'm older than you?"

"That's because you're human and I'm a Guardian," Mikhal said with a smug face. "So, even though you are older, I outrank you in the chain of beings."

"True. True," Harry agreed.

"Okay, we've spent enough time on idle chatter," Mikhal said quickly. "Now it's time for your descent to Earth and rebirth as a child. Remember, people of the past are not the same as the people of the present. They have already died and few of the dead return to life. If you ever need to be in their presence, just look deep within yourself, Harry. There, you will find them waiting for you."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked his mentor.

"You will understand in time. Farewell, my dear friend. My mother would be proud of you should she be alive now and see you here with eyes that burn with life. Good luck on your journey, Harry, and always remember, you are not alone and never again will you be alone."

"Thank you," was all Harry could say before he was torn away from his friend. For a few moments, Harry fell into a deep darkness.

When Harry woke up, he found himself lying on the lawn of a house. From what Mikhal had told Harry, he would arrive back on Earth just after his eleventh birthday. Harry stood up and found himself much shorter than he was use to. Memories of who he was and emotions of this world flooded his body and mind.

His parents were alive and well. Harry had four younger siblings, twin younger brothers and twin younger sisters. His brothers were three years younger while his sisters were six years younger. Harry was already a bit of a prankster and had not a single trace of magic within him, but he remembered Mikhal's warning. _Keep a low profile._ Harry would definitely try, but like Mikhal has stated, he won't try enough to succeed. So pranks were still there. Pranks that Harry would execute such that no one could trace back to him.

But to keep himself out of the spotlight would be hard. Harry knew this all too well because he enjoyed to tango with Trouble way too much. People had always wondered how Harry could live for so long but act like a child, but some people just don't grow up. Or reach the maturity of someone like Mikhal. Harry knew he was as mature as he would ever be and glad for it. Without immaturity, how would he be able to be reckless for no reason at all and have fun? For now, Harry knew he could avoid the spotlight by staying away from Quidditch. Well, it did not matter too much for him. What's a few more years of no Quidditch after seventy-one thousand and four hundred plus years?

Harry was about to find his way home when he kicked a log on the ground. He turned to look a found a Nimbus 2000 lying on the ground. This was the broom he stole from his father to try to learn to fly. But did not have much success because he was magicless. _It wouldn't hurt to fly a broom after 71400 or so years, _Harry thought to himself a he mounted the broom. _Well, I've flown other brooms, but it wouldn't hurt to fly a broom of the same model as my very first broom._ He kicked off the ground with ease and blasted through the air screaming with joy. It has been a long time since Harry has felt his way, and he was going to enjoy every moment of it.

* * *

Harry returned home only to receive a scolding from his father. Then his mother. But Harry could not help laughing while they were scolding him which only made matters worse. "Harry Potter! Stop laughing this instance! Do you think this is funny?" His father shouted as he reentered the room. 

Harry realized now that he did indeed look like his father. Their similarities were uncanny. "No. I was just laughing at how I never said how much I love you and mom before," Harry said with a wide smile. He knew that earlier today he was in a fight with his parents. This was why he ran away. But that was not the same Harry as the one that stood before James and Lily Potter. This Harry is still the one they gave birth too, but now he has the memories of The-Boy-Who-Lived; the Harry that did not have parents. "I love you mum. I love you dad. I promise I won't ever do this again."

"Did he say what I think he said?" Lily cried out on the verge of tears. James was at a lost for words and stood there blinking rapidly.

"I said I love you and I mean it." Harry confirmed his own words. He knew that over the course of his childhood, he had been one hard brat to control. Harry had thrown hundreds of tantrums, wrecked various part of the house while throwing his angry fits and ran away on more than one occasion. This was all Harry, but only half of who Harry really is. The piece of Harry's soul that inhabited his body for the past eleven years was the bratty, annoying, violent, mischievous and idiotic side of him. His other part of his soul contained the composed, calm, thoughtful, caring, benevolent and intelligent side of him. In a way, you could say Harry Potter is finally complete.

"You're not saying this to get out of being grounded, are you?" James asked skeptically.

"Nope," Harry replied as he let his magic flow to show how sincere his emotions were. Lily fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Harry in a tight hug. Tears were streaming down her lovely face and she sobbed uncontrollably. Harry looked up at his father and noticed the man try to hold back his tears; but when he gave his father a genuine smile, James Potter, the ultimate prankster, broke down and held his wife and son in his arms.

The front door suddenly broke open and two men came charging in. Both wore raggedy clothes and did not care for their appearance. "Did you find-" the man with black hair began. He stopped when he saw James and Lilly crying while holding Harry in their arms.

Harry immediately recognized the two men as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. The two best friends of his father and better known as Padfoot and Moony respectively.

"What happened?" Remus cried out in a worried voice. Neither man knew what to do as they have never seen James or Lily act this way with Harry.

"Harry! What did you do to upset them?" Sirius demanded with a threatening tone.

Harry smiled and said, "I told mum and dad I love them. It's good to see you too, Sirius. Remus. I missed you guys." The two men did not know what to say. They were use to the Harry that threw a tantrum wherever he went, not the one that stood there in his parent's arms. They were also skeptical about Harry, but when they felt Harry's emotions, they could not help but feel the same way as James and Lily. "I'm sorry I've been such a prat for so long. While I was out, I did a lot of thinking and came to the conclusion that I should change my personality before I go to Hogwarts."

"What do you mean 'go to Hogwarts'? You did not receive a letter. That's why you threw a tantrum in the first place!" Sirius cried out.

Harry nearly laughed. Of course he wouldn't receive a letter. Harry was a squib without his other piece of his soul. Mikhal had taken away Harry's magic as a baby to keep everyone safe from his violent outbursts and given it to the seventeen-year-old Harry. Now that they have merged, Harry's magic was restored and he could control over it. "I'm not so sure about that," Harry said cryptically. As if on cue, a letter flew through the door and fell right before the two men.

Sirius and Remus stared at the letter in disbelief. Albus Dumbledore had stated Harry had no magical talent whatsoever, yet a letter from Hogwarts was addressed to Harry. "This isn't one of your pranks, is it?" Remus asked as he picked up the letter.

Sirius snatched the letter out of Remus's hand, tore it open and read it out loud.

_Dear Mister Harry Potter, _

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. We are sorry for this late notice, as we have mistakenly believe you magicless for 11 years. Normally you would have until the first of August to reply, but because of the tardiness of this letter, you have until the first of September to reply. I am sure your parents will be pleased to hear the news of your acceptance. _

_Sincerely, _

_Headmaster Albus Dumbledore _

Sirius read it several more times silently while James scrambled to his feet, wiped away his tears and fought his best friend for the letter. Remus fell into a chair, shocked by the revelation of such news. Lily just held Harry even tighter and sobbed even harder.

Harry felt his heart ache, not in pain, but feeling for the first time the warmth of a family. His lifelong wish was finally fulfilled and Harry was determined to start a new life. Of course there is still Voldemort to deal with, but that was Neville's job and Harry prayed he did not have to stick his neck in too much danger.

Neville Longbottom is now The-Boy-Who-Lived. Not Harry Potter. There was no scar on his forehead. His parents had not sacrificed their lives for his. However, Harry still knew Parseltongue. It was a skill he learned from Mikhal rather than a skill infused by Voldemort. When Harry killed the Dark Lord, all the power transferred to Harry from Voldemort disappeared. Including Parseltongue. With the help of Mikhal, Harry learned the languages of Snakes, Dragons, Bears, Foxes, Wolves, and other intelligent creatures. Five thousand years is a lot of time, no matter how quickly it seems to go by. Actually it was more like fifty-two thousand and five hundred years as one universal year converted to roughly ten and a half Earth years.

"How's this possible?" Sirius cried out when James finally pried the letter out of his hands.

Harry shrugged and took Lily's wand. He gave it a swift wave and a tiny spark of magic shined for a short second before disappearing.

Lily pulled back in shock. Harry had tried hundreds of times, but never once had there been a reaction until now. "Perhaps his magic is so weak that we did not detect anything. There have been cases where magic does not manifest into a witch or wizard until they grow older," Lily reasoned.

Harry, on the other hand, knew exactly why he never was able to use magic. "I just found out. I was able to fly dad's Nimbus back."

"You FLEW?" the three men cried out in unison.

Harry hid his grin and summoned the broom into his hand. He then mounted it and lifted himself carefully into the air so he did not crash into anything. "Did you-" Sirius began not believing his eyes.

"That's bloody brilliant…" Remus whispered at how precise Harry was able to control the broom.

"THAT'S MY BOY!" James screamed out in joy. Then he noticed to heads popping out the hallway. Alex and Chris stood there wondering about the change in their older brother.

Harry noticed them as well and memories flooded into his mind. He had always been harsh to them since they displayed magical abilities a year after they were born. Jealousy was the main emotion Harry felt, but he pushed that aside easily and gave the twins a warm smile. He reached out with his magic and touched his two younger brothers. They were confused at first, but when they realized this was Harry's magic, they lit up. Harry gave them a wink to signal to them to keep it a secret.

Alex and Chris ran up stairs as Lily looked over to them. "I guess the twins are still scare of you, Harry."

"It's alright," Harry replied suppressing a grin. He touched down on the ground gracefully and pulled up the broom which he handed to his father. "People don't change overnight." The four adults just stared at Harry. _Well, I'm an exception._ Harry noted to himself. _I was only living with half a soul._ As much as Harry loved his parents, Sirius and Remus, this was a secret he could not tell them. However, Harry had a distinct feeling the Alex and Chris knew exactly how powerful he is. Harry would need to talk to them later.

Harry also knew that the twins were powerful. As for his younger sisters, Amber and Emily, they were more powerful than normal witches, but nothing like Alex or Chris. The two twin brothers could match Voldemort's power if combined. Too bad magical power does not stack. As for Harry, he was beyond powerful. He was godlike in terms of power when compared to the mortal inhabitants of Earth. How Petunia and Vernon suppressed his powers for so long baffled Harry.

But with great power comes great responsibility. This Harry knew. Hence he would mask his magical power until it was absolutely necessary to reveal it. Of course this would not mean Harry would increase his strength day by day. There was also the fact that Harry needed to build his body to support the strain of his true power. Unlike his old body, Harry's current body was not born to handle magic of such magnitudes. In fact, Harry knew this body was never meant to support magic as there existed no magical core. It would also be bizarre if Harry changed from a powerless squib to the most powerful wizard in the world in a flash.

Harry quickly weaved his magic to dull the pain, anguish and sorrow he has cause his family, Sirius and Remus over the years. Luckily the magic needed to influence his parents, Sirius and Remus was miniscule because even with all the pain and hurt he had caused them, they all sincerely loved Harry with all of their heart. This was cheating, but Harry already knew they were all good people. Sirius was not the man near the brink of insanity, but still the same kind and playful Godfather Harry once knew. Remus was still living poorly with Sirius, as neither man had a home to return to or a job. Remus was still the same man as the third year professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"I suppose we should take Harry to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" Sirius asked in a cheerful tone now that the pain had faded. He had waited for this day all his life. Although his family was rich, Sirius was disowned after running away from home. He was not named the Heir of the House of Black. Instead, Regulas was and passed the heirloom to the Malfoy's before his untimely death.

"We're all going," James said as he ran up to his room. He came back down with a small box. "I've been saving this just in case!" He opened it to reveal a hundred Galleons.

Harry smiled as he saw his family come together with old friends. His memories told him that they were always arguing in the past. This was mainly Harry's fault, but it was now time to change all of that. Harry's joy diminished as he realized for the first time how poor his family lived. And Sirius and Remus.

Poor as he may be, Sirius still had a way to access his family fortune. He nicked galleons from the vault every now and then when he ran out of money. Harry also knew this story since Sirius had told him several years ago after one of Harry's fight with his parents. As for the Potters, they were not left with much after the first war. Well, in Harry's point of view that was the first war. No one actually knew that Voldemort was still alive. They just had suspicions.

Majority of their estates were destroyed and leveled to the ground. Thousands of Galleons were spent on securing Gordic Hollow which emptied the Potter family's wealth. By the end of the war, they had little left and were barely scraping by as they could not restore their properties. James and Lily were both Aurors after the war, but because of Harry, Lily left her job. James supported his family, but he could not make a decent earning because of the Longbottoms.

For the Longbottoms, they were deemed heroes of the world. Frank easily rose up to become the Minister of Magic and squashed any chances of James securing a decent paying job. The reason behind this, which Harry knew without ever hearing a word from the adults, was that Harry was originally the first target of Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew had already given the location of James and Lily. Due to an intervention on Harry and Mikhal's part, Voldemort was convinced to take the life of Neville.

That Halloween night ten years ago, Voldemort entered the Longbottom estate and killed Neville's grandfather, uncles and aunts before reaching Neville's grandmother. She sacrificed her life which gave him the protection needed to rebound the Killing Curse destroying Voldemort's corporeal form. Frank and Alice were spared as they were hidden in another location due to suggestion from James. It was revealed by some Death Eaters that the Potters were the original target and some even came after Harry and his family; but the Order was already on alert and captured all those who wished them harm.

From that point on, the Longbottoms blamed James for the loss of their family and the hatred grew. They also became arrogant as their son was The-Boy-Who-Lived and power was well in their grasp. The other reason for stomping down on the Potters was because they had heard the full Prophecy. Frank and Alice deduced that Harry could easily have been The-Boy-Who-Lived and made sure that Harry would never take that away from Neville.

As much as Harry would have liked to become Neville's friend again, Harry couldn't. They were not the same people. Harry did not need to meet Neville to know he had changed. Neville had changed because he is The-Boy-Who-Lived, not the shy grandmother's boy of Harry's past.

"I'll put the other children to sleep," Sirius said as he made his way to the stairs, but Harry quickly stopped him.

"I'll go," Harry offered. "I've hurt them a lot in the past because I was jealous they had magic, but not anymore."

"Harry James Potter, when did you become so mature?" Lily asked as she knelt down next to Harry.

"Just now," Harry said quickly. "I'm sorry for being a brat, but I'm going to make it up. I'll become a son to you that will grow up to become a great person, just the way you want me to and have always taught me to be! Then, I'm going to be the best big brother Alex, Chris, Emily and Amber could ever have!"

"Those are big promises coming out of someone as small as you," James said with a laugh. "How do you intend to keep them if you're so small and weak?"

"Then I'll become strong!" Harry announced. _Yes, I will become strong. Stronger than I ever was. Strong enough so I can protect everyone without fail. Strong enough so that one day I may finally forgive myself for what I did in the past. _"I'll become strong and a top of the class Wizard! Then I'll catch all the bad guys in the world to make me rich and famous so I can buy all of you dream houses!"

To his claim, everyone laughed as none of them believed it was possible. "How can a brat like you ever hope to accomplish that?" Sirius asked through his laughter.

"I will! I will! I will!" Harry cried out in quick succession and acting as whinny as he could possibly be. "I will, and I will prove it to you!"

"When?" Remus asked which easily received a glare from Harry.

_I could do it now, but it's not the right time. _"One day!" Harry announced. "I'll show you one day! I promise!"

"Well, how about you prove that by getting all your siblings to sleep?" Lily challenged.

"Humph!" Harry grunted in dismay as no one believed him, but could he have expected them to? "Fine, I'll make them go to bed!"

"Oh really?" James said with a tone of immense doubt. "You're not going to pull a prank on them again are you? Last time I let you put Alex and Chris to sleep you placed their hands in a bowl of warm water."

"I won't do that again," Harry promised. "And that was only after three hours of fighting over who gets the blue blanket. But this time I'll make them fall asleep in a few minutes!"

"Hah!" James scoffed. "I'd like to see you try!"

"I will," Harry said as he turned and made his way up the stairs and first entered the room of his younger sisters, Emily and Amber. "Hi, Emily and Amber," Harry said as he saw his two sisters sitting on the floor playing with teddy bears. They quickly pulled the bears away from Harry and tried to hide them.

It was then that Harry recalled a memory of him ripping up all toys they got. _I'm such an idiot… _Harry muttered in his thoughts. Focusing his magic, Harry searched the room for all the toys he had destroyed and hidden to hide the evidence. He also conjured up memories of the toys he had thrown away secretly. _The magic needed to make and mend every toy I have destroyed or thrown away would be far greater than what this body can handle, _Harry noted before he walked out of the room to his room. There, Harry took what was his favorite blanket and brought it back to Emily and Amber's room.

"Want to see some magic?" he asked his twin sisters who just looked at him with curiosity in their eyes. _Well, it doesn't hurt to ask… _ With one swing of his arms, Harry lifted the blanket into the air and immediately sent his magic into the blanket. At first, it turned into several arms that dug up all the toys Harry had hidden in the room. Next, part of the blanket's material wove itself into some of the broken toys mending them and making them new once more. Finally, the remainder of the blanket was used to make all the toys Harry had destroyed beyond repair or thrown away.

When he finished, Harry had all the toys move about and playing with Emily and Amber as if they were alive. With his magic, Harry provided all the toys with a voice and movement. Never had Harry dreamed that he would actually have siblings. While growing up, all Harry had was Dudley who did nothing but bully him. But now that he had siblings, Harry vowed to always keep them safe and be the best brother they will ever have.

Suddenly, Harry noticed that Emily and Amber were already asleep on the floor with smiles across their faces. He could not remember a time when the twin girls would sleep so peacefully when he was there. Harry just remembering them crying all the time and complaining to his mom why he had to put them to sleep. _I was such a bloody brat! _Harry lifted his younger sisters and placed them into their respective beds while placing all their stuffed animals around them before turning off the lights and exiting their room.

Then Harry proceeded to the room of his twin brothers, Alex and Chris.

Immediately, Alex said, "You're not touching my toys!"

"I won't touch your toys," Harry replied quickly.

"You said that last time," Chris stated as he pulled out one of his treasured figurines which was broken in half. "You didn't touch it, but you took a rock and threw it at it."

"That's true," Harry agreed as he recalled that memory. "I won't do that either. In fact, I won't break anymore of your toys."

"You said that once and the next day we got in trouble for breaking into Mrs. Whilton's house," Alex followed up immediately.

_I'm such a bloody brat… _Harry noted to himself as he refrained from shaking his head in disappointment. "I will tell mom and dad that I did that tomorrow and clear it up with Mrs. Whilton," Harry offered in truce.

"Liar," Chris spat at his brother.

"If you don't believe me, then perhaps this might," Harry said as he walked to his room. There he dug up a box well hidden from everyone and pulled out a binder. Harry flipped it open and found it to be a collection of comics he had. It was one of Harry's most prized possessions and it would be the perfect way to prove to his brothers that he will keep his promise. When Harry returned to Alex and Chris's room, he placed the binder before his brothers and opened it revealing all the comics he had collected so far.

"Isn't this your comic books?" Alex asked as he refrained from touching it.

"Yes. Mom and dad don't have enough money to buy all of us copies of comics, so they only give it to me. Well, I took it from you actually, but here it is. If I don't tell mom, dad and Mrs. Whilton about what I did and how you two did not do it, you can keep it."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Chris asked.

"Take a comic out," Harry said to his brother as he took a few steps back. "Take one or all of them out and read it. I won't do anything."

Chris looked at Harry skeptically, but Alex immediately jumped at the opportunity and pulled one of the comics out and flipped through it with joy. "See, I told you the version of Batman by Frank Miller is different from the rest!" Alex noted as he showed a page of _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns_.

"Put that back!" Chris said to his twin as he fought to take the books away, but Alex easily maneuvered himself to evade all of Chris's attempts. "We don't know if Harry will back out and beat us up later!"

"That's true," Alex stated as he dodged his brother's fruitless efforts to retrieve the book in his hands while reading it at the same time. "But if Harry wanted to beat us up, wouldn't he have done so already? I mean, he's not even paying attention to us."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked. "Can't you see his glaring…" His voice faded as he noticed Harry standing next to the closet which had one of its doors superglued to the wall. "Well, if he's not looking, then I mind as well enjoy some of it…"

"That's the spirit," Alex said mindlessly as he was consumed by the comic.

_Hm… How did I superglue the closet door to the wall? _Harry asked himself as he examined the amount of glue there was. It was nearly impossible to get so much glue without someone noticing, yet Harry had done so and got away with it. If he was punished, Harry didn't remember. _Oh well, _Harry shrugged as he placed his right hand against the door. With his magic, Harry sliced the superglue cleanly off of the wall allowing the door to move again. Next Harry flicked the glue causing two effects. The first caused the glue to turn brittle and the second was shattering it into small tiny pieces allowing the door to move with greater flexibility.

Then, Harry turned back to his two brothers and noticed that they were lost while enjoying his comic collection. Harry walked up to Alex and took a look at what the younger twin was reading and realized that he had been very careless. _Shit! _Harry cursed in his head. _That's one of the comics I'm not supposed to give an 8 year old! _Harry quickly pulled the comic out of Alex's hands and slammed it shut. "Sorry, but I can't let you read this one yet, Alex. Mom will get very mad at me if she found out I showed it to you," Harry apologized quickly.

"But you said we could read any one we want!" Alex complained as he tried to get the comic back.

"Sorry, I lied. I forgot that I had adult comics in this binder," Harry said quickly.

Chris quickly pulled away the copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles he was reading in fear that Harry will snatch it away as well. "Hah! So you were planning to do this from the start!" Chris stated, but Harry made no move to take the comic away from him.

"No, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is fine," Harry said as he flipped through the binder and removed all the comics which were created for adult audiences. "Mom and dad would kill me if they found out I was letting you read some of this stuff. I promise I'll let you read it when you're older, but for now these are the comics' mom and dad are okay with you reading. I think."

"But you said I could read it!" Alex cried out in a whinny voice.

Harry grimaced as he did not want to back out of his promise. "Alright," he said, giving into his brothers. "But don't tell mom, dad, Sirius or Remus that I let you read it, okay?"

"How do we know you won't tell them?" Chris asked.

"If I wanted to get you in trouble, I would go downstairs right now and tell mom and dad you aren't going to bed," Harry replied. "Instead, I'm handing you my collection of comics and letting you stay up as long as you want to read it, just as long as they don't catch you."

"Hah!" Alex scoffed. "As if they could catch us!"

"I know," Harry agreed as he recalled all his memories of catching his twins out past their bedtimes. "Now just be quite for a while and enjoy your comics. I'll tell mom, dad, Sirius and Remus that I put the two of you to bed."

"Wouldn't that be lying to them?" Chris asked.

"No. I said I put you two to bed, I never said you were asleep. Now get onto your beds!" Harry ordered quickly. "And remember not to tell anyone about reading the adult comics. If you do get caught, I'm not going to bail you out."

"Okay!" the twins voiced in unison as they made their way to bed.

"Alright, I put them to bed!" Harry announced as he returned downstairs, but all he received were glares of skepticism. "Fine, go check for yourselves." Harry only prayed that Alex and Chris knew to hide the binder as well as being good at feigning sleep.

"Alright," Lily said as she got up and moved upstairs. First, she checks the girls' room and found Emily and Amber soundlessly asleep with a large pile of stuffed animals around them. "How did you get them to sleep? And where did all those toys come from? I thought they were lost!"

"Magic," Harry replied with a smug grin which made Lily give him another skeptical look. _No off to the boys' room…_

As they entered the room of Alex and Chris, they found the lights off and the two lying in bed. Harry, of course, knew his brothers were feigning sleep. Lily, however, could not tell the difference. Of course she also didn't know that Harry had given them enough comics for a good month of nonstop reading.

"They never go to bed when you tell them to. Or anyone else!" Lily exclaimed. "How did you do it?"

Harry shrugged as he said, "I just gave them an incentive to go to bed early."

"Incentive?" Lily asked which made Harry nervous. He hoped she had not thought that Harry meant that he threatened his brothers. "When did you learn such a big word?" Lily asked instead.

To this, Harry let out a silent sigh of relief. "Dictionary," Harry answered quickly.

"I've never seen you pick up a book before," Lily said with a questionable look.

"It was a word I didn't understand from one of the comics I was reading, so I looked it up in the dictionary," Harry fabricated an excuse quickly.

"Well, it's good to know you're learning something by reading comics aside from being violent," Lily stated as she walked out of Alex and Chris' room. "Well, come on. Dad and his friends are waiting."

"Um… Before we go back down, there's something I need to tell you, mom," Harry said as he stood in the doorway of the twins' room.

"What is it, dear?" Lily asked.

"You know about Mrs. Whilton's House?" Harry started. He could feel his heart pound like a roaring stampede and his throat tighten due to nervousness. It made Harry wonder if he ever had felt this way before. Or if anyone has made him feel this way.

"You mean when the twins broke in and broke her expensive vase?" Lily asked.

"Yeah…" Harry replied. "That was actually me. I was wildly batting rocks in different directions and one of them just happened to fly through Mrs. Whilton's house, shatter two windows and her vase."

"See! I told you Harry did it!" Alex cried out as he tossed off his blanket.

_You IDOIT! _Harry wanted to cry out at his brother. Instead, Harry remained silent as he lowered his head in shame.

"I thought you put them to sleep," Lily said quickly as she flipped open the lights in the room.

"I put them in bed," Harry said slowly while wondering how he was going to talk himself out of this one. He glanced at Alex who stood frozen in his bed as he realized he was supposed to be sleeping.

"Hmm? What's going on?" Chris murmured as the acted as the lights pierced his eyes. "Oh, hi mom. Come to say goodnight?"

"I'm sorry, Chris, I didn't mean to wake you," Lily said as she sat down next to Chris and gave him a light kiss on the forehead.

"It's okay, mom. I wanted to say goodnight to you before I went to sleep anyways," Chris replied.

"Goodnight Chris," Lily said gently as she tucked the older twin in. "Alex, you're coming with me right now!"

"But mom!" Alex protested, but Lily would not hear it. She grabbed Alex by the ear and led him downstairs to the fireplace.

"You are to stand here for half an hour and don't move!" Lily ordered.

"Did mom catch him feigning sleep?" James asked Harry to the side.

"Yeah. He was being quite obvious," Harry replied.

"True. We could hear his shout from down here," James laughed. "But this means you didn't keep to your word."

"I put them in bed," Harry countered quickly.

"Harry's a sly one," Sirius stated.

"Much like you when you were young, James," Remus followed.

"He wouldn't be Harry James Potter if he wasn't, now would he?" James replied.

"Are you teaching Harry bad manners again, James?" Lily called out angrily.

"No, honey!" James replied as he whistled innocently.

Harry could not help but laugh at his dad who was now chased around by Lily with his Nimbus. When James finally gave up, Lily gave him a good whack before they sat down in the living room and started having friendly conversations again. It was a pleasant experience for Harry, as he never knew what a family was until now. Sure Ron and Hermione were as close as family in the past, but being with them did not feel the same way as being with this family. Harry did not know when, but he fell asleep with a smile across his face while in his mother's arms. It was comfortable and warm.


	3. Diagon Alley

Chapter 03 – Diagon Alley

* * *

The next morning, Harry woke up in his bed. Or so his memories told him. He looked over to the clock and discovered it was only six in the morning. Harry had trained himself to wake up at seven in the morning, but Harry had probably slept early last night. He pulled himself out of bed sluggishly and walked into his bathroom to freshen up. 

After he changed, Harry walked downstairs and found no one there. He shrugged and walked over to the refrigerator to pull out some eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage and tomatoes. Harry was hungry for a fry-up this morning and it has been several thousand years since he ate one he cooked himself. It was not to say he did not cook. One of his many tasks with Mikhal was to make the bear's meals. That took a lot of work since Mikhal was the pickiest person Harry ever met. He fired up the stove and swiftly cracked two eggs into the pan. Harry pulled out a second pan and tossed the bacon and sausages in before he started to peal the potatoes.

It was hard getting use to his short stubby fingers, but Harry had cooked so long that it was like a second nature to him. When he finished pealing the first potato, he grabbed both pans and flipped the eggs, sausages and bacon perfectly on its back side. From one of the drawers, Harry pulled out a knife and quickly chopped up the potatoes into thin strips. By this time, Harry was singing a short tune and dancing around the kitchen.

Harry enjoyed cooking. It was one of the more relaxing things in his life. When he noticed that the eggs, sausages and bacon were done, Harry flipped them out of the pan and into a plate he had just pulled out. He took the strips of potatoes and tossed them into one pan while cutting up tomatoes and tossing them into another.

"Oh yeah!" Harry cried out in joy as his hash browns were nearly done. It was not an English custom to eat hash browns, but Harry fell in love with them while traveling the universe. The tomatoes were fried the way he liked them in already in his plate. When the hash browns were done, Harry tossed it up over his back and landed perfectly into the plate where Harry had set aside an area for it.

When he turned around, he found James, Lily, Remus and Sirius staring at him in awe. Harry froze in shock, never anticipating that someone would wake up while he was cooking. "Morning… Breakfast?" Harry said the first things that popped into his mind.

The four adults studied the plate wondering if it was edible. They have never seen Harry cook before, nor has he ever shown any talent in that area. But the plate did look delicious. James was the first one to take a bite. He took some hash browns as he has never seen it before. "Wow! This is pretty good!" he cried out as he stuffed down another bite of hash browns.

"How long did it take you to make this?" Lily wondered as she took a bite of the hash browns to judge it herself.

Harry turned to look at the clock which read 6:15. Harry grimaced as he knew it had only taken him ten minutes to make. And this was going as slow as he possibly could go. "A while," Harry decided to say. It was not a lie, nor was it the truth.

"Make us at plate!" Sirius and Remus cried out as James and Lily devoured Harry's first plate. Harry spent the next forty five minutes with the four adults while pretending he was having some difficulty making five more plates of fry-ups. Jokes were tossed around and conversations were thrown back and forth. His wish was granted.

Diagon Alley was the same as ever. Thousands of witches and wizards crowded the streets. Harry and his siblings were attracted to things left and right. But being a poor family, there wasn't much the Potters could afford. Unbeknownst to everyone, Harry was actually stealing money right out of people's pockets. Normally Harry did not like stealing and would just swindle witches and wizards for money, but Harry had the distinct feeling that he needed a lot of money and needed it fast. Harry received standard first year robes that were charmed by his mother to change to whichever house he was sorted to. James had wanted to just make it Red and Gold for Gryffindor, but Lily convinced him that this was better. Harry already knew he was a Gryffindor. All he had to do is ask the hat to place him there.

As for books, Harry used his father's old copies. He said that he wanted to read the notes left in the books which made Lily blush and James laugh. Lily adamantly refused to allow Harry to use hers, so Harry was stuck with his fathers. Harry did not mind too much, but it was the best reason to convince his parents not to buy him new books. However, Harry was sure to swindle enough money to buy his brother's brand new ones. And sisters.

Sirius and Remus had ran off for a while during lunch and were chased by a small winged creature. Harry immediately knew it was a Griffon with one look. The witches and wizards in the streets all spread out of the way as Sirius and Remus ran as fast as they could to escape the Griffon cub.

His family was in a panic, but Harry quickly reached out with his magic and touched into the griffon's mind. –Hello there. I'm Harry Potter, the boy sitting at the table looking at you.- Harry telepathically to the griffon. He noticed the griffon stop and turn about. –I don't suppose you can stop chasing those two men, could you?-

The griffon let out a cry which Harry understood perfectly. It was hungry and thought the two men were food. Harry let out a laugh as he stood up from his seat, took a meal from an empty table and placed it before the griffon cub.

-Can you mindspeak?- Harry asked as he pet the griffon's head. It was a bit larger than a medium sized dog, but more dangerous than a lion. The griffon just shook it's head as it ate.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" his mother's voice cried out in shock and fear.

"Don't worry, mum," Harry said as he turned around with a smile. "This cub as just hungry." He noticed Sirius and Remus were peaking their heads around the corner while his father was holding his mother back. The cub jumped up onto Harry which gave everyone a shock, but the next moment it was rubbing it's head against Harry's face playfully. "I think I've tamed it," Harry laughed as the griffon's mane tickled Harry.

"Oh, there you are!" a giant voice boomed. Harry turned to see Hagrid standing a few feet away. "Now yer get off the boy…"

"HAGRID!" Lily shouted in full fury as she broke out of James's grip. "Did you bring this creature here?"

"Er…" Hagrid grunted uncomfortably. "Mighta…"

"You could have gotten Harry killed!" she fumed.

Harry got up off the ground and walked over to his mother. "Mum, don't be mad at this man. Besides, Silva already became my familiar."

Lily raised an eyebrow. She did not know to be proud, happy or mad. Her eleven year old son who was magicless just a day ago had tamed a silver griffon cub! One of the most dangerous species of griffons still alive in the world.

"How in bloody hell did you do that?" James cried out enthusiastically as he ran over with Amber and Emily in his arms. The two tried to reach to grab the griffon cub, but James kept the two under control. As for Alex and Chris, they were with Sirius and Remus who were still hiding around the corner.

Lily smacked James hard on the shoulder and cried out, "Watch your language!"

Harry laughed as Silva jumped up and down playfully. Silva was still too small to fly. "Not really sure actually," Harry lied smoothly. Harry had actually tamed a few hundred griffons in his many years with Mikhal. "I just thought it was hungry and gave it some food. It accepted and became my familiar."

"Yer boy's pretty perceptive," Hagrid noted with a smile. "I suppose you can keep him since he's your familiar…"

Lily shot Hagrid a glance, but James said, "Give up, Lily. There's no way we can separate a griffon from his partner. You know that." Unfortunately, Lily did. James once tamed a bronze griffon in his time at Hogwarts and it never left his side until it died in a fight against a Death Eater.

Harry played with Silva for a moment before a voice in his head said, 'Keep a _low _profile'. Harry wanted to kick himself as he realized that having a griffon as a familiar would make him stick out at Hogwarts. It was not just any griffon; Silva was a silver griffon, the rarest griffon race to ever become a familiar. Even golden griffons were more common. Silver griffon's had one special trait that separated itself from the other griffons: it had the ability to use magic.

Harry was going to have to teach this cub to learn telepathy and magic in a week as the train leaving for Hogwarts was just a week away. He wondered if Mikhal would help…

When Hagrid turned to leave, Harry jerked up back away from his thoughts. A few minutes had passed by and there was a conversation between his parents and Hagrid which he had missed. Harry looked up and noticed his twin sisters were crying, so he asked Silva to stand up on his hind legs and let his Amber and Emily pet his head.

"Fun!" Amber cried out as she was laughing again. Emily was a bit more shy and only reached out with the help of Amber. Lily was fuming again and James was laughing.

"Harry!" Lily cried out.

"Don't worry, mum. Silva won't harm them," Harry coaxed his mother.

"WEE!" Amber and Emily cried out in joy as they rode on Silva's back.

"Come on, Lily. He's just a playful cub!" James said in a cheery tone before Remus, Sirius, Alex and Chris crept back to their side.

"Playful?" Sirius asked skeptically.

"That griffon was about to eat us earlier." Remus noted.

Harry scratched the underside of Silva's neck and said, "That's because he thought you smelled like animals."

James, Sirius and Remus turned and scratched their heads nervously. Two of them were unregistered animagus's while one was a werewolf. Of course they had the scent of animals, but Sirius and James have yet to tell the children about their other forms. However, Harry already knew about it.

"Let's go to Ollivanders!" James said quickly changing the subject which gave Lily a laugh.

As they entered the store, they found themselves face to face with none other than the Longbottom family. Frank and Alice stood there dressed in fairly expensive dress robes and flaunted their money. Neville was standing next to Ollivander holding a wand that Harry recognized. It was his wand. The same wand Harry used to kill Voldemort. Now it was Neville's. 'Have fun with that wand and being the famous Boy-Who-Lived, Neville!' Harry noted mentally.

"Ah. Look who we have here. James and Lily Potter. Come to get your twins a wand? I doubt the squib can use one," Frank laughed. Unexpectedly, Silva leaped out from behind the Potters and slammed Frank onto the ground. Alice let out a sharp cry and Neville stood there frozen.

-Silva!- Harry called out telepathically. -As much as you would like to bite the man's head off, I must ask you to release him.- Silva retracted his talons and walked back to Harry's side. "I'd be careful what you say, Mr. Longbottom. Silver griffons do not react kindly to those who insult their partners."

The Longbottoms shot a deadly glare at Harry wondering how he knew about silver griffons and more importantly, how James was able to secure another griffon as his familiar.

-Silva, I know this will be hard, but can you stand still by my father?- Harry requested. The cub gave a small whimper and stood next to James who beamed proudly with his family. –Whatever that man says, do not attack him.- Silva gave a slight nod in response.

"Harry, why is Silva standing next to your father?" Lily whispered to Harry while watching the Longbottoms carefully.

"I'll explain later," Harry said with a smile as he walked up to Ollivander. "Good day, sir," Harry greeted kindly. –Hello Ollivander. Don't be startled. I am well aware that you are able to see exactly how powerful I am regardless of how much I try to hide it. So I am going to have to as you to keep quiet.- Harry voiced telepathically to Ollivander.

The wandmaker nodded and replied, "Good day to you, Mr. Potter. Have you come to purchase a wand?" This question startled everyone except for Sirius, Remus and Harry's family as it was a well known fact that Harry is a squib. Or was one.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied politely as Ollivander walked into the back to search for a wand. –I actually know which wand is mine. You might be confused, as you may believe the wand you just sold Neville would be a better match with me, but I am here to tell you it is not. My wand is a dual core wand with a feather of an angel and a feather from a devil as the two cores. It has a sycamore base to store the cores, then a layer of black marble to encase the wood in case of magical leaks and a handle made from dragon claws. I believe it's ten and a half inches.-

Ollivander was surprise as to how accurately Harry described the wand. It was one of the ancient wands of the Creators which Ollivander inherited. Not a single witch or wizard has been able to wield it. He pulled the wand out curiously and returned to his desk. Every witch or wizard he had tried to pair this wand up always ended disastrously. "Let's try this one," he said as he handed Harry the wand.

Harry smiled and gave it a wave. A small glow of magic lit up at the tip and faded quickly. Ollivander gave a frown wondering why there was not a different reaction when he realized what Harry had done. His eyes flew in shock as he figured out how Harry had suppressed the magic that flowed out with such precision. Few could make a wand glow like that in the first try.

-Tell the crowd that you expected a reaction like this with a weak wand. It's better this way. And don't worry about the payment. Under your desk is a large pouch of ten thousand Galleons. Just ask my parents for three.- Harry said to Ollivander quickly.

"Curious," Ollivander said breaking the long silence. "This wand recognizes you as its wielder, but I did not expect you to wield such a weak wand."

The Longbottoms laughed as Alice cried out, "To think that Harry actually has some magical power! But he's so weak that his wand can't even produce a decent reaction!" Suddenly, a few boxes crashed into Alice knocking her to the ground.

"Who did that?" Frank shouted out as he looked around while helping his wife back on her feet. All those who were laughing at the Potters were now laughing at the Longbottoms. "You did it!" Frank cried out pointing to Harry.

"I must disagree, Frank," Ollivander said in Harry's defense, although he knew it was Harry who had done it. How, he didn't know. "As you saw, Harry's wand is fairly weak as is his magical power. Neville, on the other hand, has the most powerful wand second to it's brother." That was a lie of course, since the most powerful wands were dual cores and Harry was holding one of them. "It is more likely Neville did it than Harry."

Frank's face was redder than a tomato before he charged out with his family. Minister or not, no one fought inside of Ollivander's shop. That was a rule.

Harry was laughing when he noticed his two brothers staring at him. _Oh dear…_ Harry thought. _I think they already know…_ He was never close to his brothers before, but the next time they were together, Harry would try to become a good brother. His two sisters on the other hand had not been terrorized by Harry as much, so their relationship would be easier to rekindle.

That night, after his family was asleep, Harry walked out on the roof and cried out, "Mikhal! I need your help!" Harry looked up at the night sky and fascinated himself with the stars as he waited for a response.

"You know, your stupidity never ceases to amuse me," a familiar voice spoke out. "One day and you're already calling for my help?"

"Good to see you again, Mikhal," Harry said as he hugged the giant bear. Silva was jumping up and down as it recognized Mikhal as the Guardian.

"Hello there, Silva," Mikhal greeted the cub. "Your problem is an easy one to solve." The bear placed a hand on Harry's head and uttered an incantation. Harry immediately recognized it as the spell to release the binds on his knowledge, but it was too late for Harry to stop it. When the incantation finished, Harry braced for pain, but none came. Instead, he found a new voice in his head.

-Hello, Harry Potter. I am Silva and please to be your familiar.-

Harry turned to face Silva who had turned himself into a silver eagle. –Nice form!-

-Thank you.-

"Now that your problem is solved, I can go get some rest," Mikhal said as he disappeared.

-Don't worry, Harry. You will see him again.- Silva said reassuringly.

-I don't doubt that.- Harry agreed.


	4. Voldemort

Chapter 04 – Voldemort

* * *

A week passed by and Harry became even closer to his parents. However, the day to leave for Hogwarts finally came. Harry and his parents reached King's Cross after a few hours of driving. His siblings were left at Godric's Hollow with Sirius and Remus who enjoyed playing with the kids. They were the unofficial uncles to Harry and his siblings. 

"Ah yes. Platform 9 ¾. Know where that is?" James asked his son as they walked through the station.

"Between Platform 9 and 10?" Harry answered trying to sound ignorant. He already knew about how to pass through one of the walls to get to the platform for Hogwarts Express, but so far, his parents have never showed it to him. So Harry decided to play ignorant. Silva perched on Harry's shoulder in his eagle form and was alert. Ever since Mikhal gave the silver griffon Harry's knowledge, the griffon matured far beyond normal griffons. Silva was also fairly wise for a cub.

James and Lily laughed. The statement was accurate, but inaccurate at the same time. "Yes, I suppose it would be between the two. But there's a charmed wall that acts as a gateway between King's Cross and Platform 9 ¾."

Harry decided it would be best not to ask questions as his parents led him through the wall. When he exited, Harry found a familiar sight. Hundreds of thousands of people stood there waving goodbye to their children as they were boarding Hogwarts Express. Once, a long time ago, Harry had been here before, but with no one to wave goodbye to. Now it was all going to change. James and Lily Potter were still alive and standing next to him.

"Go on, Harry," Lily said as she gave Harry a slight push.

"Have fun at Hogwarts, son!" James called out as Harry moved towards the door to boards the train.

"Goodbye, mum. Goodbye, dad. I love you!" Harry cried out just before he took the steps up into the train.

-Harry, Neville is already on the train.- Silva told Harry.

-Good. I did not want to meet up with that git anyways.- Harry replied.

-Ron is already with him.-

-He is?-

-Yes. And Ron's a prat.-

Harry almost laughed out loud to the last statement. Silva had an amazingly accurate sense of other people's personalities and they were hardly ever wrong. –Is Hermione Granger there?-

-Yes. She's trying hard not to smack Neville.-

-Is she?-

-I was just kidding.-

This time Harry laughed. Silva also gained a sense of humor through his transformation. Harry found an empty compartment and put his trunks away before turning to the window. He found his parents waving outside and decided to shout, "I promise to write lots of letters!"

Harry was still waving when the train began to move. He did not want to leave his parents, but Harry had little choice in that matter. He needed to attend Hogwarts to watch over the Voldemort and Neville. There were also things he wanted to set straight that Harry never had a chance to do in his previous life.

-Hermione is coming.- Silva warned. Harry was grateful that Silva could see through solid objects. It was one of the advance magic spells that Harry learned but did not have the ability to use with his eleven-year-old body.

The door shifted open and a young girl with bushy hair stood there. "Um… Can I sit here?" she asked shyly.

Harry raised an eyebrow. He remembered Hermione being a bossy know-it-all in their first year; however this seemed more like the Hermione in her seventh year. Well, it was good that she was not like her old self. Some changes were good. "Sure. No one's here."

"Thanks!" Hermione answered as her face lit up. "I'm Hermione Granger." She said as she reached out her hand.

"Harry Potter." Harry replied as he took hers.

"Harry Potter? Forgive me for asking, but aren't you a squib?" Hermione winced as she prayed she did not offend the boy.

Harry was amused that Hermione would think he found it offensive. "Almost. My magical powers were so weak that no one could detect them. They suddenly appeared a week ago."

"They say that some witches and wizards don't ever discover their magic until they come of age. Perhaps your situation is similar to theirs," Hermione speculated.

Harry smiled as he discovered Hermione still had a large pool of knowledge, just did not show it off as much. "Perhaps." Harry agreed, although the truth was far from that speculation. "You know, my mother said the exact same thing."

"Really?" Hermione blushed. She seemed to know that Lily Evans, the brightest student of Hogwarts after Minerva McGonagall, was Harry's mother. "Did she really?"

"Yup. She even went to look it up afterwards just to confirm her theory."

-Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus are coming.- Silva warned. His eyes flicked to Hermione who seemed to have noticed something odd about him. –I think Hermione is getting curious. She is trustworthy.-

-I will make a note of that.- Harry replied to Silva. –You can have fun with Neville.- In Harry's mind, he could hear Silva laugh in glee.

The door to the compartment slid open quickly and Neville was standing with his three henchmen (or so Silva called them). "Move, Potter. This is my compartment!" Neville commanded.

Hermione was about to speak when the door slammed hut on his foot. Harry roared in laughter, but Silva was not done yet. The door slid open again as did the windows and crows flew in to attack The-Boy-Who-Lived. "It seems the crows don't like you much, Neville!" Harry cried out through his laugher.

When Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus finally fought the birds away, Neville glared at Harry. "I'll get you for this!"

"Who said I did anything?" Harry asked innocently as the door slammed onto Neville's fingers.

"Harry, I think you should stop," Hermione said in a commanding tone. However, she was also trying had to suppress her laughter.

-Well, I suppose enough is enough.- Silva said as he released the door. –Just kidding.- The door broke off it's hinges and smashed Neville into the compartment across. There were a few screams, but Harry was roaring in laugher before three wands pointed at him.

"Do you know who that was?" Ron asked with a snarl.

"Neville Longbottom. The greatest git in the world born to the king and queen gits of the world," Harry responded with a laugh. Suddenly, a fist connected with his jaw and sent Harry to the ground.

-Need help?- Silva asked, but Harry shook his head. He looked over to Hermione who was too scared to move. She was once a strong person, but that was the past. Hermione could still be a strong person; Harry just needed to make her discover the courage that lurks within her.

"Don't insult The-Boy-Who-Lived!" Dean sneered as he pushed his wand into the back of Harry's neck.

As much as Harry remembered liking Dean, he could not help hating the boy right now. –This boy is drawn to fame. He is a weak person who needs to surround himself with strong figures to survive.- Silva analyzed.

"Yeah." Neville said as he looked down at Harry. Apparently he was able to recover from that blast. It was not that strong anyways. "I killed You-Know-Who."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"You-Know-Who." Everyone else replied.

"No. I don't know who. There's a lot of people I can associate with it."

"Fine. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Neville said.

"Uh… There isn't a baby who hasn't been named unless they are dead, so I don't know anyone that title applies to." Harry was pulling their legs, but it was fun.

"The wizard!" Neville cried out in frustration.

"I'm a wizard. I don't go around telling people to call me You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Harry said before he noticed how red Neville's face was.

"The Dark Lord!" Neville whispered.

"OH! Voldemort?" Harry shouted out so everyone could hear. He laughed as he heard gasps coming from all around while everyone around him shuttered.

"Don't speak his name!" Ron said as he pointed a wand at Harry.

"Don't speak Voldemort's name? Why not? Voldemort's dead right? So why do we have to be afraid of saying Voldemort when Voldemort is dead? It's not like Voldemort will pop out of the grave and come back to kill us." Everyone's faces were ghastly pale after Harry said the name five more times. This felt good. –Enough is enough, right?- Harry joked before he continued, "Say, why does he call himself Lord Voldemort anyways? It's not like Voldemort is a place or anything. Is Voldemort his first name or last? Well, I suppose by using Lord Voldemort, Voldemort would be-" Harry never got to finish before a blow hit the back of his head.

Hermione screamed in fear and shock, but Harry was fine. He just pretended to be knocked out for a while. "Enevrate!" Neville said with a wave of his wand, but Harry did not move.

-Want to scare them a bit?- Silva asked Harry as he gave an image of what he had in mind.

-Of course!- Harry replied gleefully. He felt Silva weave his magic and Harry began to stand up. To those around him, Harry's body looked like it was decaying. The four boys bolted out of the room in one second screaming 'Zombie!' Harry fell back into his chair laughing as the illusion faded. Silva quickly fixed the door and shut it.

"You're-" Hermione began. Her eyes were wide open and her face was pale.

"Yes. I'm very much alive. That was just a joke to scare them off," Harry finished as he laughed. "I'm afraid you will have to keep this a secret!"

Hermione looked at Harry with a puzzled look. Then, the sudden sound of the compartment door opening made her turn to find a redhead standing at the doorway. "What happened here?"

Harry smiled at Percy and replied, "Nothing."

"What's this I hear about someone using You-Know-Who's name?" Percy asked.

"I've never used You-Know-Who's name. Even if you're referring to Voldemort by You-Know-Who, is still did not use Voldemort's name. I never used Voldemort's name as I don't know Voldemort's name." Harry enjoyed watching Percy's reaction. His face seemed to twist with agony and body cringed.

"You- You!" But Percy did not know what to say. So he stormed off down the train.

Harry was laughing the entire time until Hermione grabbed his arm. She was shaking fairly badly. "Why did you use _his _name?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"Hermione, there's no reason for you to fear a name. The more you fear the name, the more power you give him. Plus he's dead, so there's no reason for you to worry." However, Harry noticed it had not calmed Hermione down in the least. –A little help here, Silva…- Harry called to his familiar.

-Should I just alter her memory?- Silva asked.

-Perhaps that is the best action for now. She is far too scared at the moment. Stun her and give her a really good dream.- Harry said before his familiar performed his magic.

Just as Harry lay Hermione down to sleep, the door slid open again. Draco Malfoy stood at the doorway with a smirk across his face. "I heard that there's a fool that would say the Dark Lord's name."

"Who? Voldemort?" Harry replied quickly.

"Don't say his name!" Draco commanded as he grabbed Harry by the collar.

"Why should I not say Voldemort? It is the name Voldemort wishes to call himself, is it not?" Harry asked innocently with a smile across his face.

"You're not a Death Eater so do not speak that name!" Draco commanded in a low voice.

-You should not intimidate him so much. He may be a valuable ally in the future.- Silva's voice spoke in Harry's mind.

"No. I'm no Death Eater. Just a boy who has no fear of the Dark Lord. Harry Potter," Harry said as he held out a hand.

Draco looked down with a confused look. He had heard about the Potters when they fought his father in the previous war. But their first born son was suppose to be a Squib. Why was he here? "Draco Malfoy," he responded darkly before taking Harry's hand.

-He is not evil, but will travel down the path of darkness for the love of his family.- Silva told Harry which Harry made a mental note of.

Harry let Draco walk out without another word. Things haven't changed much.

A few hours passed before Hogwarts Express came to a stop. Harry put on his robes and woke Hermione. "Have a nice nap? We're here."

"Oh no! I haven't got on my robes!" Hermione panicked. She quickly shuffled through her trunk, pulled out her robes and put them on. They were much like Harry's, which was charmed to change into the house she got into.

The two hurried out of the train after Hermione put on her robes and joined the other first years with Hagrid. Harry felt right at home being the outcast. He hated being the center of attention which Neville has at the moment. Rumors were spread that stated Neville said 'Voldemort' on the train which made people revere him even more. _The-Boy-Who-Lived, not scared of saying You-Know-Who's name! _That would make one great headline.

Harry was the oddball of the group. A supposed squib whose powers suddenly appeared a week before his first year began. No one wanted to be around him because he was dead unpopular and was the nemesis of Neville Longbottom. No one except for Hermione Granger. It was odd that Hermione would be his first friend instead of Ron. Then again, Ron was only his friend because he was The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Everyone swarmed around Neville as he puffed his chest feigning bravery. He had spread the rumor that it was four girls who charged down the train screaming 'Zombie!'. At least this year Harry would be left alone. Hermione was busy chatting with Padma Patil when they arrived at Hogwarts. Harry remained quiet and reserved as he followed Hermione and Padma into Hogwarts where they found Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, waiting for them.

The witch gave Harry a curious look before turning away and stating, "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As first years, you will be sorted into one of four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Hufflepuff. To determine which of you will go to which house, we will be using a magical sorting hat."

When McGonagall announced that, everyone let out a sigh. Harry was chuckling as the current rumor was that you needed to face a dragon. If you fought it, you were in Gryffindor. If you could hold an intelligent conversation with it, you were in Ravenclaw. If you befriended it, you were in Hufflepuff. If you tricked it into letting you pass, you were in Slytherin. Harry amused himself with the idea of facing a dragon as he had faced a Hungarian Horntail once before.

"You are expected to be on your best behavior. When you're ready, follow me," McGonagall continued. She turned around and walked through two giant double doors that lead to an even larger hall. "Welcome to the Great Hall of Hogwarts."

Every first year was looking around amazed by the view while Hermione was saying that she had read that the ceiling was enchanted. Harry, however, had already been in this position once before and concentrated on talking to the Sorting Hat. –Hat!- Harry called out several times.

-My name is not 'Hat'. Then again, I do not really have a name. Welcome to Hogwarts, Harry Potter. I've been waiting for you.- The hat responded.

-I suppose you have. Now, I don't suppose I can sway your vote on one of the students, can I?- Harry asked.

-Maybe. Who do you have in mind?-

-Hermione Granger. Place her in Gryffindor with me.-

-Gryffindor, huh? What makes you so sure you will be in that house?-

-You'll see. Try not to take so long while reading my thoughts, ok? I promise you will be delighted.- Harry replied.

-Well, care to give me a taste?- Harry concentrated and sent some of his memories to the hat. –Most interesting! Hermione Granger will be placed in Gryffindor. Is there anyone else?-

-Not really. I'm trying not to change too much and keep a low profile. I just had a feeling Hermione might be placed into Ravenclaw. She is a bit on the shy side.-

-Very well. It's time for my song.-

_Every year at Hogwarts I sing,_

_A brand new song, with new meanings._

_Welcome back, students old and new,_

_I am the Sorting Hat for those who haven't got a clue._

_So which house will you be in? You don't know,_

_I will sort you in, as I did a long time ago._

_They may sound weird, or a bit bizarre,_

_But the houses names you will belong to are:_

_House of Gryffindor, for the brave and strong,_

_This is where the adventurers belong._

_House of Ravenclaw, for the beautiful and bright,_

_Much like a white swan in mid-flight._

_House of Hufflepuff, for the loyal and true,_

_There is not a soul she will refuse._

_House of Slytherin, for the ambitious and sly,_

_There is more to them than meets the eye._

_I know how odd this may feel,_

_But this is something, only I can reveal._

_So place me on, don't be shy!_

_I know you wish to hear my reply._

Harry did not bother to watch the sorting as he already knew where everyone was going to go. However, there were a few surprises. Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy were almost placed into Gryffindor, but Harry intervened stating that Draco was the perfect candidate to keep Neville off Harry's back. When it was finally time for Harry to don the magical hat for his second sorting, Harry stepped up. There were plenty of whispers through the hall about Harry and his sudden appearance into the magical world.

Harry just ignored it all and placed the hat upon his head.

-Unbelievable!- The Hat cried out in Harry's mind. Harry was amazed at how quickly the hat absorbed all the events stored into Harry's mind.

-There's actually more, but you already know that.-

-Yes. Yes, I do.- The hat mused. –I suppose I can get it from you some other time.- "Gryffindor!" The Hat shouted out loud and the Gryffindor table cheered. Harry was glad that the Hat had only taken a minute to sort him. The last time it took near five.

Now, all Harry needed to do was keep a low profile…

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**Author's Note: **Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really glad you enjoyed this fic so far. 


	5. Bound

Chapter 05 – Bound

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Harry was not to enthusiastic about his living arrangements. He was cursed to share a room with Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus who were the same roommates he had in his previous life. Harry would have to complain to McGonagall in the morning. No doubt there were some traps set up for Harry. But with Silva at his side, Harry was not about to fall for the tricks. 

Before he could walk up the stairs, a voice called out behind him. "Mister Potter. A word." Harry turned to see McGonagall standing next to her quarters. Harry walked over quietly, not sure what to expect. When the door closed behind him, McGonagall got strait to the point. "Despite popular belief, I think you were the one who used the Dark Lord's name inside the train. There was also a great deal of magic casted inside the train. And the eagle on your shoulder is no ordinary eagle, is it? Hagrid informed us that you had tamed a silver griffin cub."

-There's no point in hiding anything from her, Harry. But we cannot trust her with everything. She reports everything to Dumbledore so be careful on what you choose to reveal.- Silva warned.

-Want to decide for me?-

-I guess I could.- Silva jumped off of Harry's shoulder and morphed into his true form. The eagle was not his only form, but it was the one he spent most time in to be inconspicuous.

McGonagall was a bit surprised to see the eagle transform into a griffon cub. However, she did suspect it. "And the magic?"

"That was all Silva. Neville was ganging up on me with Ron, Dean and Seamus so he used his magic to protect me. And yes, I did use Voldemort." McGonagall let out a gasp and shuddered to the name. The only wizard to call the Dark Lord by Voldemort Dumbledore. Sitting before her was an eleven year old boy who used the name fearlessly. Even Neville hadn't the courage to say it. "I don't suppose I can get my own room, can I? Neville hates me as does Ron, Dean and Seamus. I wouldn't be surprised if I found that they wrecked my belongings."

McGonagall contemplated for a moment. It was Dumbledore's decision to place Harry with Neville despite the rivalry between their families. It was more like hatred than a rivalry. However, Dumbledore had been adamant that Harry was to be placed with Neville. Why? The headmaster never said. Dumbledore just wanted the two together. "I'm sorry, Harry, but the other rooms are full. When there's a vacancy, I will let you know." This was the best response McGonagall could give at the moment. "You may return to your room. And I will permit Silva to use his magic to protect you if needed."

_Perceptive as always, _Harry noted to himself as he got up from his seat. Silva changed back into his eagle form and perched on Harry's shoulder. It was done using a polymorph spell which allowed the user to change into any form the spellcaster wanted.

-Although I did say that Dumbledore is keeping an eye on you, he does not suspect much. Perhaps he had pitted you against Neville to force you to use your magic and determine your magic potential.- Silva told Harry as they made their way up the stairs.

-So if I keep my magic level to a minimum for a while, do you suppose he will let it go?- Harry asked in return.

-There's a high probability.-

Harry was thinking the same thing, but it was always good to check with Silva. The griffon had achieved a higher state of wisdom than Harry since his mind does not contain as much knowledge as before. He had nothing to compare his situation to whereas Silva could search his mind and find thousands of different similar events. Harry missed that ability, but with Silva at his side, he was not without it.

-Neville is looking through your stuff.-

Harry shrugged as he knew there was nothing other than ragged clothes in that trunk. His valuables were kept hidden in a magical secret shelter he had developed with the help of Mikhal. The spell summons a small house, enough for three people to live in comfortably, and Harry had used it to store his valuables. All his worldly belongings were destroyed when Harry scorched the Earth the first time around.

He missed his Firebolt, but Harry found an even better magical item that allowed him to soar through the air. It was the Firebird. The Firebird was shaped like a broom, but had a magical propulsion engine at the end that blasted him through the air in speeds faster than any broom can ever hope to achieve. This was something Harry purchased in his travels to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Harry also had a collection of magical wands that fired one specific but specialized spell. He was never short on enchanted jewelry that would protect him, but Harry could not wear them in fear of someone discovering his powers. However, the most prized possession of Harry was the memories inside his mind of the past. Harry always kept them with him. He was not about to let them go, even after he made new memories. It was those memories that defined who Harry Potter is today.

When Harry opened the door into his room, Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus froze where they stood. Caught in the act! It was easy to force the four to clean up the mess with Harry's magic, but that was out of the question. "Why are you digging through my stuff?" Harry asked.

The four boys looked at each other, but it was Neville who came up with an answer. "Daily inspection. In case you are carrying something illegal. You might make an attempt on my life during the night."

Harry rolled his eyes and let Silva onto the base of the bed. With a blink of Silva's eyes, all Harry's clothes were folded back neatly and placed into the wardrobe. "Thanks for cleaning up," Harry said as he pet Silva on the head who replied with a satisfied coo. Harry proceeded to flop onto his bed and was asleep before Neville could speak another word.

Silva amused himself as he watched Neville and his gang try to get past his defenses. No matter what they tried, the four boys could not get past Silva to hit or prank Harry. Silencing charms were placed to give Harry a good nights sleep and wards were placed to keep Harry from dreaming too much of his past. After two hours of playing around with Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus, Silva decided to call it a night. He used his magic to bind the four onto their beds and used a sleep spell to knock them out.

Silva slept lightly like every night. He was Harry's protector during the time Harry had no powers. Harry's magical energy was transferred to Silva to prevent any sudden outbursts, but Harry was given a small reserve in case there was need for using high end ancient magic spells. Silva woke a few moments after he sensed that Harry had awakened from his slumber.

-You should just sleep in. Class does not start until nine.- Silva said to Harry.

-I like to wake up early. Makes me feel refreshed.- Harry replied as he shuffled out of bed. He showered and changed into his robes which were red and gold now that Harry was in Gryffindor. Harry weaved his magic and locked his wardrobe. Weak as Harry may be, he could still perform simple spells. His wand was able to supply him with just enough magic to cast simple spells.

Harry made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast with Silva on his shoulder. –You can go out to the forest to hunt some game if you wish.- Harry said to his familiar.

-I hunted while you showered.-

Harry snorted as he sat down and pulled out a parchment. He focused on his magic and all the words he wanted to write in the letter to his mother formed in a matter of seconds. Simple and basic magic spells used the magic in the surrounding areas. Little precision was required which drained little magic from Harry's body. Intermediate spells required higher precision and Harry did not have enough magic to cast a single one. Advance and high end spells required a witch or wizard to meld magic together, summon greater magical energy and the toughest of all: creating magic.

Few witches and wizards ever reach advance and high end spellcasting. Those that do never get past melding magic. Harry had been able to meld magic to form healing spells and create multi-elemental attacks. This was as far as any witch or wizard got. Summoning greater magical energy would be like Harry casting the spell that destroyed the earth. Harry would need to gather more energy than his own energy limit from the world around him, which would destroy a witch or wizard if not careful. Most witches and wizards never can summon energy equivalent to their own magical potential. And the last, creation of magic, is a skill that made Harry's powers godlike. It allowed Harry to fight a magical battle even after his own magical energy was depleted. This skill, however, could only be used after Harry regains his full magical potential and knowledge.

With Harry's powers, he could easily defeat Voldemort without breaking a sweat. But if Harry changes Fate too much, it will lead to the destruction of Earth and Harry would need to start over. When he did, he would not be given the chance to live with his family and friends. Harry would rather die than having to live without his friends.

Harry gave the letter to Silva who took it and teleported away. He returned moments later and relayed, -Your mother will send a letter by owl in a few days. Your father was laughing about how Neville was humiliated by me in the train.-

Harry chuckled before a shadow cast over his breakfast. Harry looked up to find Severus Snape standing to his side. Determined not to let Severus die a meaningless death after killing Dumbledore, Harry decided to try and break the hatred that separated them. "Good day, Professor Snape," Harry greeted politely with a bow.

Severus raised an eyebrow at Harry's behavior. "It's nice of you to join us, Potter," Severus sneered coldly.

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied taking Severus's words as a complement rather than an insult. "I hope I can live up to your standards in your Potions class, Professor."

"What makes you think that you can meet my standards, Potter?" Severus snarled with a hint of hatred. Yes. He hated the boy. Why? Because he looked too damn like James bloody Potter. However, the boy's responses were intriguing. Harry was not goaded by his taunts and sneers. Instead, he took them as complements.

"Because, Professor, as much as you loathe Gryffindors, you have much respect to those who respect others. I may be a Gryffindor, but I respect your skill in Alchemy and wish to learn from an accomplished Potion Master such as yourself," Harry replied. "However, if you ask the Sorting Hat, you will discover that there was a chance in which I was to be sorted into Slytherin. Perhaps, with time, I hope we can sort out our differences and become friends."

For the first time in the life of Severus Snape, he was shocked by a response so much that he was at a lost for words. There was nothing Severus could think of to throw back at Harry. No snide remark. No snarl. Nothing but saying, "Very well." He turned and walked away not watching as Harry gave him a polite farewell and a bow.

Severus sat at the Headmasters table pondering the enigma that is Harry Potter. Harry? A Slytherin? No bloody way possible. Harry is a Potter, and Potters were always insufferable Gryffindors. They were idiot and prats. Yet Harry showed intelligence and maturity far beyond that of an eleven year old. Was it possible that he inherited his mother's personality? There was only one way to be sure. He would test Harry Potter when class started.

As Harry expected, Hermione was the first of the Gryffindors to wake up for breakfast. Majority of the Ravenclaws were up as were half of the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins. However, there were only two Gryffindors present. The school knew just how notorious Gryffindors were when it comes to sleeping in.

"Morning, Hermione," Harry said in a cheerful tone. He had already finished his breakfast and was studying for his first Potion lesson. Well, mock studying since Harry already knew everything he needed to know for his seven years at Hogwarts.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you up so early?"

"I'm always up this early. Force of habit," Harry replied as he read up on Moonstones. "I usually make breakfast after I shower, but since Hogwarts provide us with breakfast, I was left with an abundant amount of time." Moonstone was the main ingredient of Wolfsbane, a potion Damocles, uncle of Marcus Belby, developed to allow werewolves to retain their human mind during transformation. Severus had used it to aid Remus during the weeks of his transformations allowing Remus to stay at Hogwarts to teach. Harry wondered if it was developed yet.

"Wow, another Gryffindor that actually studies!" Hermione cried out in joy. Harry knew how much it meant to Hermione to have someone to study with. He and Ron always slacked off in the old days, but now it was time for change.

"Actually, I'm trying to study everything before hand. Before I discovered I was not a squib, I always threw tantrums and was a pretty big prat to my parents. So I never actually studied magic at all. I'm trying to study as much as possible before Potions with Professor Snape. My mother went to Hogwarts with him and says that he is an excellent Potion Master and says I can learn a lot from him." Although it was the truth, Harry was also lying. He did not study magic before the age of eleven, but with the merging of his split soul, Harry gained all the knowledge from his previous life.

"Well, if you ever need help, you can always ask me," Hermione beamed. Harry smiled knowing some things about Hermione had not changed. She was always a caring person and could not help herself to help others.

"Thank you, Hermione," Harry said with a bright smile. It was nice to have one of his best friends with him. Too bad the other one is an intolerable prat. Silva had said that there was no changing Ron, and Harry hated it, but he agreed. While looking back at Ron from an unbiased point of view, Harry discovered Ron was not all that great of a friend Harry had thought him to be. Ron was a great strategist, and he used that against Harry and Hermione draining both of them dry for his own benefit. He used Harry for the attention and Hermione for her brains.

As much as Harry wished Hermione would not allow herself to be used like that, Harry could not deny her the chance to become friends with Ron. The two had become lovers before their untimely death at the hands of Voldemort. Perhaps things will work out the same between the two, but there was also the possibility things worked out differently.

"I've been meaning to ask, where did you get that silver eagle? I can't find references to it anywhere in the library," Hermione asked as she started on her breakfast.

"Oh. Silva sort of got into a magical accident that changed his feathers permanently silver," Harry explained. He hated lying to Hermione, since he was sure that he would tell her the truth later on. There was a chance that she would break off their friendship.

-Maybe you should just tell her the truth.- Silva told Harry as he jumped onto Hermione's shoulder. –She's a clever girl. Trustworthy.-

-Couldn't you have said something before I made up the lie?- Harry shot at Silva. He leaned over to Hermione and whispered, "Actually that's just the cover story. As you might have suspected, Silva's a silver griffon."

Hermione clasped her hand around her mouth in shock. _Silver griffon?_ She asked herself. They were one of the rarest creatures to have as familiars. First, a witch or wizard would have to tame it. Second, the griffon would judge if the witch or wizard is worthy enough by testing a witch or wizard's intelligence and wisdom. Third, a magical bond is formed after passing the test. Only the most powerful witches and wizards have ever gained a silver griffon familiar. So this brought Hermione to her next question: _How powerful is Harry Potter? _Neville, named The-Boy-Who-Lived, was equally as powerful as Voldemort for destroying the wizard, but the boy only had an owl as a familiar.

"How did you tame it?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I gave it some food," Harry replied casually.

"You tamed it with just food?" Hermione said in disbelief.

"Yup. Silva is just a cub. He inherited a vast amount of knowledge somehow and is able to use magic like a grown silver griffon. However, he still can't fly in his griffon form. Still has a few years before that is possible."

Hermione eyed Harry curiously as he seemed to know more about griffons than she did. Perhaps it was the magical bonding that gave him this knowledge, but if that were true, then Harry's magical potential should be far greater than anyone here.

-She is trying to figure out why you seem so weak.- Silva noted after reading Hermione's thoughts.

-That's invasion of privacy.- Harry joked. As much as he did not like to pry into the minds of his friends, it was necessary at this point in time to avoid suspicion. "My father had a bronze griffon as a familiar once. He would tell me stories about griffons. It is said that a magical bond does not form until both the wizard and a silver griffon both becomes adults." Harry knew Hermione would read up on it later, but that was the truth. Harry's magical bond to Silva happened because Mikhal initiated it to help the cub become less conspicuous.

"Interesting," Hermione noted as she finished her breakfast.

Class started in half an hour and only half of the Gryffindors were awake. Harry noted that Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus were still not here. –You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?- Harry asked Silva.

-I might have made the binds last a bit longer than I should have.- Silva replied cheerfully.

Harry smiled as he went back to his potions book. He looked over to see Hermione studying for Transfiguration. _Ah, the ever so studious Hermione,_ Harry laughed inwardly. The two continued to study as students poured into Great Hall. The four boys living with Harry Potter never made it to breakfast.

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**Edit: **Harryfan pointed out that I had mistaken Severus as the creator of Wolfsbane. It's been fixed. Thanks for the correction!  



	6. Potions and Brooms

Chapter 06 – Potions and Brooms

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**Author's Note: ** Thanks for all the great reviews. It's nice to hear feedback regardless of it being good or bad. But there is one issue that has come up a couple times. That is the revelation of Harry's powers. I'm sorry to say that Harry will not be revealing his powers. Although this is a powerful!Harry fic, I decided that there needs to be some challenges Harry needs to face. He will use his powers, but not as Harry Potter. Nor will he ever use it to scare others into backing off. This is what Neville does. The point of Harry's return was so that he could spend his time with those he loved, not so show off his awesome power. Also, the power he was given was to allow him to save those he loved. If Harry uses his power recklessly, he may end up in a world where all those he loved is gone again.

* * *

The bell sounded loudly for their first class ten before nine. For Harry and Hermione, it happened to be Potions with Professor Snape. It took Harry a fair bit of convincing to get Hermione to go to class. Usually she wouldn't miss one even if the world was ending, but Harry knew Hermione was scared of Severus Snape. Harry admitted that he was intimidated by the man the first time they met, but Harry knew more about Severus than he let on. 

"Come on, Hermione! Professor Snape isn't _that _bad," Harry coaxed as they were outside of the dungeons.

"Yes he is!" Hermione pouted. She had heard nasty rumors about how Severus treats Gryffindors and know-it-alls.

-A little help here would be nice!- Harry cried out to Silva.

-You had things perfectly under control.- the griffon laughed in return.

"If you don't go in, Professor Snape will take points away from Gryffindor," Harry said. It might have been more knowledge than he should know, but it was enough to get Hermione to walk through the doors. Harry saw the Slytherins busy chatting amongst themselves and not caring it was Harry that walked into the room. _I'm glad I'm not The-Boy-Who-Lived. Damn staring was annoying! _Harry said to himself.

Hermione was squirming around trying to get the back row seats, but they were all taken. Harry sighed and settled for a desk in the middle of the classroom. He actually wanted to sit in the front, but Harry could not leave Hermione alone. She was shaking at the thought of Severus Snape. The Potion Master had yet to make his appearance, but Harry knew the professor would arrive just as the class began.

Punctuality was something Severus prided himself on. He was there at the exact time, give and take a few seconds. Never early, never late. Harry watched the clock hit nine and in stormed Professor Snape with his cape flaring behind him.

"Good morning. I am Professor Severus Snape and am here to teach you the art of Potionmaking. You are to address me as Professor Snape or sir." Severus made a note to glare at the Gryffindors who looked back nervously. Only one boy sat comfortably in his seat. Harry Potter. Severus turned away and continued, "I expect you all to be here punctually-" His words were interrupted when four clumsy students wearing the Gryffindor colors burst through the dungeon doors. "Forty points from Gryffindor," Severus snarled naturally.

"But-" Ron began.

"Ten more points for standing there idly instead of getting into your seats! Another five points from each of you for not keeping your appearance clean!" Severus fired back with no mercy.

"I'd suggest your reverse those points," Neville spoke up. "Or my father will hear about this!"

"Sir," Harry spoke up noting that Severus was about to reverse the points. The Severus Harry knew would never give into threats like these.

"Yes, Potter?" Severus sneered as he paused for a moment.

"Just take seventy points from me for doing this," Harry jumped onto his desk, dashed across to the aisle and decked Neville to the ground. "I think this qualifies for detention as well, sir," Harry noted before Dean and Seamus grabbed him.

-Remind me, Harry, how is this keeping a low profile?- Silva asked. Harry wanted to kick himself again. Why is it that he couldn't stay out of trouble? Was it really that hard? –Yes it is.- Silva answered for Harry. –Because you are still a kid. Without the knowledge and wisdom you have given me, you cannot think maturely.-

_Bloody hell! _Harry cursed silently.

"You will release Potter at once," Severus commanded the two boys. "Get to your seats before I take off anymore points. And Potter, you have a week's detention."

Harry shrugged as he felt Neville glaring at his back. He wanted to sit down next to Hermione, but it seems all the Gryffindors were glaring daggers at him. So Harry decided to join the Slytherins who were still laughing from his earlier stunt. He found himself a seat next to a girl named Blaise Zabini. It was odd since Harry clearly remembered Blaise as a boy in his past. _Stupid changes. _Harry cursed.

"Before I was rudely interrupted," Severus continued, "I was stating that I expect you all to come to class punctually, well prepared and have a proper appearance." Severus turned his attention to Neville and his three friends as they looked as if they just got out of bed. Little did he know that that was the truth. "Now, who can tell me what Ashwinder eggs are used for?"

Harry's eyes dashed towards Hermione and noticed her hand was not up. _So, she **is **that scared of Severus. _Harry noted.

-You should have let the hat place her into Ravenclaw where she belongs.- Silva told Harry.

-Perhaps. But she does have a great amount of courage.-

-Just all tucked down deep inside of her. Yeah, yeah. I know. But look at her. She would probably be more comfortable in Ravenclaw.-

-No. Neville needs Hermione's help or he won't be able to get anywhere.-

"Mr. Longbottom. Would you care to answer?" Severus volunteered. He was met with a spiteful glare from Neville. "Don't know? Alright. Next question. What can I make with Wormwood, Asphodel, Sopophorus Bean and Valerian Roots?"

Neville stayed deafly quiet not wanting to admit that he did not know. Again, Hermione did not raise her hand, but Harry could see that the answer was at the back of her throat.

"No answer again? What potion would I make if I had Fluxweed, horn of bicorn, knotgrass, lacewing flies, leeches and skin of boomslang?" Harry almost laughed as how relentless Severus fired these questions upon Neville who was burning bright red in fury. "Well, this just proves fame is not everything. Did you think you could pass this class without any knowledge? Now, Mr. Potter. Would you care to answer these questions or will you just sit there and stare at me quietly?"

"I will answer the questions, sir. Ashwinder eggs are used for love potions. Wormwood, Ashodel, Sopopohorus Bean and Valerian Roots are ingredients of a potion called 'The Draught of the Living Dead'. That is _the _most powerful sleeping potion in existence. Fluxweed, horn of bicorn, knotgrass, lacewing flies, leeches and skin of boomslang can be used to make Polyjuice Potion. A potion that can change the drinker into another person as long as you can secure a strand of hair. Sir." Harry answered politely. He noted that everyone was staring at him shocked that he could answer all these questions.

Severus, however, was not done yet. "What would I make with Erumpent fluid?"

"Any type of exploding potion, sir."

"Mandrake?"

"A potion to restore the petrified, sir."

"Salamander blood."

"Fire-breathing potion, sir."

"Moonstone."

"Calming potions. And there have been studies that hypothesis the use of moonstones to help werewolves retain their human mind during transformation, sir."

Severus was about to throw a few more just to test if Harry's knowledge was genuine, but the last statement proved it. Few knew about the effects of moonstones on werewolves, but Harry knew it. "It seems that Mr. Longbottom was outdone by a boy who was thought to be a squib until a week ago."

-Again, I must ask you, how is this keeping a low profile?-

-Shut up, Silva!- Harry scowled as he heard his familiar laughing inside his mind.

-Hmm. Instead of keeping a low profile, you have successfully made yourself the Gryffindor outcast. I guess in some ways this is the same as keeping a low profile.-

"Blaise Zabini," the girl next to him greeted.

"Harry Potter," Harry replied as he took her hand. He noted that majority Slytherins was not impressed. Draco held an unreadable expression, but with Silva's help, Harry could tell the young Malfoy was deeply impressed by Harry's actions so far. Draco was contemplating whether to befriend Harry or leave him alone. It was a hard decision as Harry was once known as a squib. Not to mention the tabloids had made it clear to the wizarding world Harry had very little magical power.

"Not often we get a Gryffindor outcast," Blaise noted quietly as Severus continued on with his lesson. "How did you know all those answers anyways?"

"Well, with low magical power, I decided to work on potions as this is the only field of magic I can be successful in. Spellcasting is not my strong suit." Harry lied effortlessly. Silva had already come up with thousands of different excuses Harry could use. It was not hard picking one and memorizing it.

"You are an interesting person, Harry," Blaise noted as she jotted down some notes for the potion they were going to make later this week. "Most people swarm around Neville like he is God, but you openly fight against him."

Harry shrugged and replied, "He started it." Blaise nodded as the entire wizarding world knew the feud between the Longbottoms and the Potters. Harry looked over to Theodore Nott who was just as imposing as Draco Malfoy. In Harry's past, Draco was the pompous boy who controlled half of the Slytherins with his fortune. Nott was the boy who worked behind the scene undermining Draco which led to the Draco's downfall. Harry watched the two carefully, trying to determine which is more dangerous at the current moment.

-Nott. Hands down.- Silva answered for Harry.

-Why?-

-Already has two thirds of the Slytherins behind him. Actually, most don't know that. They think it's some seventh year.-

"Which would you follow: Malfoy or Nott?" Harry asked Blaise.

She looked at the odd Gryffindor and responded, "Neither. They're both prats." Harry let out a light chuckle as he started his own notes and recalling the instructions that was scratched into an Advance Potions book written by a certain Half Blood Prince.

* * *

Class ended with no further insults to Neville, but Harry was sure there will be plenty of insulting when it came to potionmaking. They were preparing potion ingredients for a potion Severus was asked to make for Madam Pomfrey and Neville's ingredients were unusable as Harry noticed Severus tossing them out just before he left. 

Now that Harry was a complete outcast, even Hermione ignored him. She was never one to be weak under peer-pressure, but that was the past. Harry sighed as he made his way behind all the Gryffindors to the Quidditch Pitch. Majority of the Slytherins spat at Harry calling him a 'squib' as the tabloids had nicely put. However, Harry did not find the words insulting in any way.

-Careful, Harry Potter. As much as you want to be Seeker again, you still need to keep a low profile.- Silva warned.

Harry scowled silently as he walked into the pitch and lined up at the very end of the Gryffindor line.

"So, Longbottom, you think you can fly?" Draco shot out.

"Of course. I'll be the youngest seeker of the century!" Neville challenged.

"Sure, whatever. I bet you can't even lift off the ground!" Draco shot back.

"We'll see," Neville fired back.

Harry rolled his eyes. Apparently the two had been arguing long before Harry arrived.

"Alright, boys! Break it up!" Madam Hooch called out silencing the two rivals. "Welcome to your first flying lesson. Here you will learn to fly and it is better if you learn by experience as there are no words to describe flying. Everyone, stand to the side of the broom opposite of your orientation. So if you are left handed, stand to the right and vice versa. Raise your arm up above the broom and say 'up' to command it into your hand!" she instructed.

Harry did not bother to command the broom and just let the broom rise up into his hand. Luckily, no one noticed he had not used the command, but Hooch was impressed that Harry had done it in his first try. Neville and Draco were having trouble with theirs. Ron's broom had smacked him several times in the face. Dean and Seamus's brooms just rolled around on the ground. Hermione was able to get hers into her hand within three tries. Blaise got hers in four. Nott, Crabbe and Goyle never got their brooms to move.

Harry had to wait ten minutes before everyone was able to get their brooms up from the ground. During that time, Harry contemplated on mounting his broom, but Silva had convinced him otherwise. When he heard Hooch say, "Now, mount your brooms," Harry jumped eagerly onto his broom and was ready to kick off into the sky. At least mounting did not take as long as calling the brooms. "Alright everyone, ease your brooms up gently."

Harry sighed as he could do this in his sleep. He looked over to Hermione who still had both feet planted firmly on the ground. He couldn't blame her for being scare of heights. Some of the Slytherins were laughing at Hermione as she was the only Gryffindor who did not jump at the chance to fly. Hooch was able to stop the insults, but Harry was disappointed as none of the Gryffindors came to her aid.

Harry gently shifted across the pitch and stopped next to Hermione while Hooch was not looking. "Just hold on to your broom," Harry said to Hermione as he placed his hand on one end. "I'm going to pull you off the ground. Keep your balance." Harry raised his own broom a bit higher while pulling Hermione's broom along. She was trying hard not to shiver in fear, as it will knock her balance off; however, Harry could tell Hermione was not succeeding.

-Incoming.- Silva warned. Harry shifted to the side along with Hermione with ease as Dean, who was dared to crash into Harry, missed and slammed into the ground.

Harry turned and feigned surprise as Madam Hooch was screaming at Dean about what she had said earlier. "Mr. Finnegan," she cried out noticing that it was Seamus who made the dare, "Take Mr. Thomas to the infirmary." Seamus groaned as he flew down and picked Dean off the ground and led him back to Hogwarts. "Now, I expect you all to stay on the ground!" Hooch said as she turned around and followed the two boys to the infirmary. Although she did order them to stay on the ground, Hooch decided to let them practice flying a bit. So long as no one else was injured.

Harry was not paying attention as he was trying to get Hermione to kick off the ground. Another warning came from Silva, but this time they were aiming for Hermione. Harry was able to pull her away, but not before Nott snatched away a necklace from Hermione's neck.

"Give it back!" Hermione screamed as Nott flew away laughing. He tossed it to Draco who was up twenty feet off the ground.

"Give it here, Malfoy!" Neville commanded as he met Draco in the air. Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors were right behind him as Draco had all the Slytherins.

"Why should I? This is Granger's and she should be the one coming up her to retrieve it. Oh wait, she's too scared of heights to fly!" Draco shot back as all the Slytherins laughed.

"Well, yeah. She's a coward for a Gryffindor," Ron agreed. "Now give it before we beat you down!"

Harry raised his eyebrow to Ron's comment, which majority of the Gryffindors agreed on.

"Beat me down? I doubt it. I bet none of you can take it away from me in the air!" Draco goaded as he flew away. Neville chased after Draco, but not because this was for Hermione, but because he wanted to beat Draco at his game.

"Don't worry, Hermione, I'll get it back," Harry said to comfort her. Neville was having trouble keeping up with the smaller Slytherin in the air and Hermione was at the verge of tears. Harry did not know what the necklace meant to Hermione, as she did not have a necklace in the past, but all that mattered was that it was important to Hermione. That was enough reason for Harry to fly out and take it back. "Let's see if I inherited my father's flying talents," Harry said with a smile before blasting off into the air.

Harry weaved through the crowd of Gryffindors swiftly through the twist and turns Draco forced them to do. Harry was having fun flying past the Gryffindors. When he got to Ron, Harry gave a subtle kick knocking Ron off balance forcing him to crash into the ground. Harry zoomed past Neville and slapped the back of the boy's head as he passed before reaching Draco. "Mind giving the necklace back?" Harry asked as he mimicked every move Draco could perform.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins who stopped chasing watched in awe as Harry and Draco flew through the air. Neville was trying hard to catch up, but he was missing all the turns and humiliating himself. Finally realizing that he could not avoid Harry, Draco took out his wand and shot the necklace towards Hogwarts in desperation. "Go fetch!" Draco called out as the necklace flew towards the castle.

Harry wasted no time to dash off after the necklace. Once more, he found himself flying towards Professor McGonagall's office window, which he did not know the first time around. Harry caught the necklace while pushing the horrible breaks of the old broom and stopped right outside of the window. "Good day, Professor," Harry greeted politely as he held out the necklace. "I don't suppose you can fix this chain, can you?"

McGonagall was left speechless after watching Harry pull a professional Quidditch maneuver to catch the necklace. She repaired the chain quickly when she recovered and said, "Would you be interested in joining the Quidditch team?"

"Very much!" Harry beamed cheerfully. "But you will have to excuse me for a few moments. I need to return this necklace to Hermione."

"We will speak about this matter later, then," McGonagall said before Harry flew away.

-Oh, nice. You just made yourself seeker _after _I told you not to.- Silva's voice growled in Harry's mind.

-Shut up.- Harry shot back at his familiar.

When Harry touched back down on the Quidditch Pitch, he made his way over to Hermione and returned the necklace. She thanked him shyly as the rest of the Gryffindors glared at him. And most of the Slytherins. "So, Neville, what was it that you were saying at the beginning? You were good enough to become the youngest seeker?" Harry shot at Neville with a sly smile.

"Well I am Gryffindor's seeker! My father gave me that position for my birthday!" Neville shot back in anger. He did not like being humiliated. And the one who humiliated him was Harry Potter which made things worse.

Harry noticed that Draco was angry as well, but kept quite as Harry was battling his rival in popularity. "So you can't even earn a decent position, huh? Had to buy your way in?" Harry thought of saying something to Draco, but it might change the future too much. So Harry decided to keep quiet for the time being.

"Shut up!" Neville fumed as he was unable to come up with a response.

"Why should I?" Harry spat back. Now every Gryffindor was against him as the Slytherins were behind him. It was odd the way things worked out. Who would have thought that Harry's greatest allies were not Gryffindors, but Slytherins?

"I'm The-Boy-Who-Lived! The most powerful wizard and the person who defeated You-Know-Who!" Neville cried out. "You better listen to me and do as I say! Or I will personally make you life a living hell!"

"Bring it on, Neville. Oh wait. Why should I worry? There's nothing you can do to me without the help of your father! Trying to make me listen by putting fear into me? That's not going to work. Why? Because you can't even say Voldemort!" Everyone took a step back and gasped. "Now, if I'm not afraid to say that name, why would I be afraid of you?"

-Well done, Harry. Now you have successfully made yourself an outcast and a partial center of attention.- Silva noted which made Harry scowl.

Neville, whose face was redder than Ron's hair, charged at Harry who was ready for such an attack. Harry noticed McGonagall walking to the pitch and let Neville tackle him to the ground. Some of the Slytherins rushed to aid Harry, but Ron led the Gryffindors to cut off any chance the Slytherins had to help Harry. For Harry, he was not too worried. As much as each punch stung, Harry did not fight back. He was just waiting for McGonagall to come about.

"Mr. Longbottom!" the transfiguration professor shrieked. "Get off of Mr. Potter! Everyone stop fighting this instant!" Everyone stopped and looked over to McGonagall in shock that a professor had caught them fighting. McGonagall was shocked to find her students behaving this way and noticed that only the girls had not joined the brawl. Harry was on his back with a black eye and a cut lip.

As much as she hated to do what she was about to do, it was the rules. "Two hundred points from both houses," Professor McGonagall said without mercy. "All of you will be receiving detention for two weeks with the exception of the girls and Mr. Potter. He was the only one who was levelheaded enough not to punch back!"

All the boys groaned as they watched their points turn negative. The Slytherins blamed Gryffindors for the loss of points while the Gryffindors blamed Harry. Harry wasn't too disappointed and didn't care much. He had won his fair share of House Cups. Nor was it hard to make it up if he was the Gryffindor seeker. Catching the snitch was fairly easy for Harry as his eyes were well adjusted to keeping track of the golden snitch once it was set free.

Harry was smiling as McGonagall brought him to the infirmary to clean up his wounds. All in all, this day had started well.


	7. Shadow Fiends

Chapter 07 – Shadow Fiends

* * *

Harry spent the rest of the day in the infirmary. Poppy Pomfrey did not allow Harry to leave even after his wounds were healed. She did not believe him when Harry said that Silva healed him. Although the healer knew Silva was a silver griffon, Pomfrey did not believe a cub could perform a complex enough healing spell to heal Harry. 

He missed the rest of his classes, which were Charms and Transfiguration, but Harry did not mind it too much. As he lay on the bed, Harry realized something was wrong. Quirrell was here as was Voldemort, but they had not made a move against Neville. Looking back on his first year, Harry remembered Quirrell had tried to attack Harry out in the Quidditch Pitch, but instead caught Neville's broom during the flying lesson. Yet no one's broom went out of control. Something was wrong.

-Silva, where is Voldemort?- Harry asked his familiar.

-In the Forbidden Forest. He is feeding off of a unicorn. As for Quirrell, he is there as well. But you are correct in noting something is wrong. There are other dangerous presences I am aware of, but cannot sense completely.- Silva replied which confirmed Harry's suspicions.

-I'm going to check it out.- Harry said as he got out of bed. –Act as my double and boost my magic enough for a short skirmish.- Harry felt magic flow into his body and quickly used it to change his appearance into a young man. He changed his robes into a black long sleeve shirt and pants made of cloth. Harry also conjured a large square piece of cloth that he tied over his face like a mask. He removed his hair from his head and eye color to black to avoid recognition as this was the older version of himself.

"Do be careful," Silva said using Harry's voice as he polymorphed into Harry.

Harry cloaked himself in the darkness of the shadows as he crept through Hogwarts. He found Neville chatting happily with Dumbledore about classes, but Harry knew the headmaster was a manipulative man. A good man and a person Harry greatly respected, but a manipulative one nonetheless. Harry would not be fooled by Albus Dumbledore again.

-Do you know where these presences are located?- Harry asked Silva. The greatest thing about their connection was that telepathy worked regardless of how far they were away from one another. Usually Harry needed eye contact and be within twenty feet of a person or creature to use telepathy, but his mind was connected to Silva's and vice versa. They could communicate as long as they were awake.

-No. It's getting dark soon. The Gryffindors and Slytherins have detention with Hagrid and he is bringing them into the forest. Just follow Neville.-

Harry crept in the shadows and kept himself well hidden. He knew Dumbledore had the ability to sense magic, but Harry knew how to mask his magic well. As powerful as Dumbledore was, he had yet to step into the realm of advance magic. In fact, Dumbledore had barely started to delve into intermediate magic. He relied on his wand too much. Modern wands restricted the flow of magical energy which disables a witches and wizards ability to increase ones magical potential. Voldemort was closer than Dumbledore, but the Dark Lord was foolish and sacrificed his power to try and gain immortality.

Harry had a wand of the ancients which allowed him to grow, but Harry already maxed out his magical potential in his previous life. However, with his marble wand, Harry could pump or drain magic from a spell controlling its power whereas normal wands only deal the same amount of damage. As much as Harry liked his new wand, he was still more comfortable wandless. He enjoyed feeling the magic as he used spells that were burned into his memory.

This was how he was able to mask himself. It took magic to feel magic, so Harry changed the signal of Dumbledore's magic to fool the headmaster in thinking no one was there.

Neville had reached Hagrid's hut where all the other boys serving detention was waiting. Hagrid had his crossbow out and Fang was by his side. "'Ello, people. Er… We're huntin' in da Forest tonight. Somethin's huntin' and killin' the unicorns."

As Hagrid led the students on their task, Harry's magical senses flared. Something dark was inside the forest. Darker than Voldemort as Harry could already see the Dark Lord feeding off of unicorn's blood. Harry ignored the boys and Hagrid and dashed into the forest. Using his magic, Harry conjured a sword with a thin long black blade and reinforced it so it would not break. Harry did not need light to see in the darkness as he was not looking for figure, but magical traces.

There wasn't a single creature that could harm Harry as they were scared of his presence. Harry did not know why animals and magical creatures could see his full magical potential even though his energy was given to Silva. They just did. Harry was scanning the best he could to find traces of magic, but it was difficult. Whoever or whatever the darkness was, it was good. But Harry was better. He found the traces and noted that it was left there to be misleading. Several traces led deeper into the forest while others led towards Voldemort. But those trails were not the ones Harry was looking for.

It seems the darkness that Harry sensed had predicted Harry would come and laid a trap. Or were they expecting someone else? If the darkness was as powerful as Harry thought them to be, they would have attacked him already, but nothing has happened so far. Harry let himself become visible and waited. Magic flickered in the trees, but the trap was not sprung.

This trap was laid for someone else. But who could this trap be for? Suddenly, the answer hit Harry like a slap across the face. Neville. Harry masked himself into the darkness again and searched the area. This time he searched not for magical presences, but for human life. And there, standing off in the distance, was Professor Quirrell talking to Voldemort. It seems they were arguing whether Harry was a potential ally or enemy. It was in that conversation that Harry discovered that they had summoned Shadow Fiends.

Harry cursed silently as he knew exactly how hard Shadow Fiends were to kill. It was easy at full power, but Harry only had enough for a short skirmish which meant Harry needed to take on twenty or so Shadow Fiends with only his sword. Harry turned around and was about to deter Hagrid when he found himself face to face with Hermione. _Shit! _Harry cursed again. _What's Hermione doing here?_

He noticed that Hermione was staring straight into his eyes, which meant she could see him as clear as day even with his magical cloak on. "What are you?" Hermione asked.

Harry was taken back by the question. He was sure he was still a human. So why would Hermione ask that question? Harry moved behind a tree and removed his magical cloak of darkness. Hermione let out a gasp, but Harry quickly clasped his hand around her mouth. "Shh!" Harry shushed as he stared into Hermione's frightful eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you!" As for why she was scare of him, Harry did not know. "Now, Voldemort is just over past these trees and-" Harry stopped and realized he might have changed part of the future.

"Are you Harry?" Hermione asked when Harry's hand came loose.

Harry wanted to bang his head against something. He had forgotten how clever Hermione is. His use of Voldemort gave him away. In that moment, he thought of posing as Silva, but that would be another lie Harry had to deal with. So he decided to use his other persona: James Evans. "Not really. But I am James Evans; someone from another world and another time. I have come in aid of Neville Longbottom. You are not to speak to anyone about this. Now stay close. I can protect you, but only as long as you are by my side."

Hermione nodded as Harry spun his magic and cloaked them with his magic. "Did you just say that You-Know-Who is still alive?" Hermione asked. Although she seemed interested in his earlier statement, Harry felt that Hermione was more intrigued by his appearance.

"Yes, I did," Harry replied. "Everyone thinks he died, but that's a lie. He just lost his corporeal form. Did you follow me all the way here?"

Hermione looked down shyly. "Yes. I noticed a black cloud of smoke that moved inside of Hogwarts. So I decided to investigate. I just did not know it was you or that you were coming into the forest. How do you know You-Know-Who is here? And what did you mean by 'lost his corporeal form'?" Harry smiled as he noted Hermione had not lost her lust for knowledge.

"Voldemort needs unicorn blood to sustain his life. After the Killing Curse reversed and hit him, his body was destroyed. He is still alive as a semi ghost." Harry found Hagrid, Neville and the rest of the boys serving detention standing next to a unicorn. "Damn… I was too late." That was the exact location of the trap, but none of the Shadow Fiends attacked. This was odd. Suddenly, his magical senses flared again. The Shadow Fiends were coming. Judging by their movements, Harry guess their target was Neville as he broke away from the group. Just as Harry was about to move, he saw a trace of magic circle around him. Harry spun around ready to defend when a black blade shot out aimed not for Harry, but Hermione.

Hermione let out a shriek, but Harry clasped his hand around her mouth and deflected the blade with his sword. This was not good. Harry could not fight a battle on two fronts without his full arsenal of magic. So Harry quickly retreated to Hagrid's side and dumped Hermione into the half-giant's arms. "Keep her safe!" Harry commanded as he leaped up and slashed a Shadow Fiend in half. At least the Shadow Fiends could not see Harry which gave him an advantage.

In one of his earlier excursions, Harry had faced an army of Shadow Fiends and in that battle Harry discovered that the Shadow Fiends could only see light surrounded by darkness, but not darkness. There once was a time in which Harry's alignment was not tainted, but that was a long time ago. Harry no longer hesitated to kill, nor did he ever feel guilty about killing his enemy. However, what kept him from being consumed by darkness was that Harry still had a deep affection towards his friends. It was because of this affection that Harry was fighting Shadow Fiends even though he was at a clear disadvantage in terms of power.

Black blood rained upon the Gryffindors and Slytherins as they screamed for help. Harry dashed over to the next three Shadow Fiends and cut them down quickly before finding Neville who was running as fast as he could away from five fiends. Harry conjured five balls of light and blasted them towards the fiends. It tore a hole into their chests and they crumpled to the floor, dead.

_Nine down, at least ten more to go_, Harry noted to himself.

Harry's magic was low as he pumped a lot of energy into the last spell. If he had not, the fiends would not have died. Harry turned to his left and found three terrorizing Ron, Dean and Seamus. In one swift movement, Harry sliced the three fiend's heads cleanly off their shoulders. When they fell, Harry continued spinning towards his left to scan the area. Apparently Hagrid had taken five down himself with his crossbow.

_Seventeen down, a couple more to go,_ Harry silently noted.

Harry saw the last five standing off in the distance. Four of them were guarding the fifth that looked like the leader. No. Shadow Fiends don't have leaders. But they do have spellcasters. Harry cursed himself as he could not dash quickly enough to stop the spell from being cast. However, Harry did have enough energy to cast one quick spell. Harry raised his sword up into the air and slashed down. Luckily for Harry, the fiends were not expecting Harry's near instantaneous spellcasting. His sword extended and slashed the spellcaster in half killing the fiend before it could finish its spell.

The death of the spellcaster shocked the remaining four Shadow Fiends and they retreated quickly not wanting to die by Harry's sword. Under normal circumstances, Harry would chase after them to kill them, but they were cleaver creatures. Harry had to chose between protecting and fighting while the Shadow Fiends did not.

"Thanks stranger," Hagrid's voice boomed.

Harry spun around and gave a nod before looking at Hermione who lowered her head shyly. She was going to get in trouble for this, but not if Harry could do something. "The girl did not come into this forest on her own. I had brought her here as she had seen me earlier." Harry gave Hermione a stern look forcing her to be quiet.

"You kidnapped a student?" Hagrid shouted out in disbelief.

"Yes. But the situation required it." Harry dashed off into the forest before Hagrid could get another word off. When he returned to the infirmary, Harry noticed that Silva was still playing his role. –I need you to change me back!-

-And clean you up as well. You reek of blood.- Silva replied as he polymorphed Harry back to his eleven year old self. With a quick weave, Silva changed Harry's oversized clothes back into his robes and removed all the blood from Harry's body. Harry quickly proceeded to jump into his bed before Madam Pomfrey notices the change. –You should have called for help.-

-Didn't have time. I wanted to, but by the time I realized I needed it, I was already in mid-battle.- Harry replied quickly. -Hermione popped out of nowhere and caught me off guard. For some reason she could see me under my shadow cloak.-

-Did she describe what she saw?-

-A black cloud that moved.-

-Intriguing. I have a few theories of how it this is possible, but I will need more information to confirm it. Oh, and you should have gone with the lie that it was me, not James Evans, that she met.-

-Thanks for the suggestion long after I made a decision.- Harry said sarcastically.

-Well, both decisions were good ones. Then there was also the option of just telling Hermione the truth. It would make things easier as Harry Potter and James Evans are essentially the same person.- Silva was babbling, but Harry did not mind. This was exactly how Harry was before his knowledge was sealed.

The double doors of the infirmary opened breaking Harry from his thoughts and he saw a familiar face walk in. He was wondering when Dumbledore was finally going to have a talk with him. "Hello, Harry," the old wizard said with a smile. "How are you faring?"

-Be careful. This old man's not as innocent as he looks.- Silva warned.

-I know. Just keep his Legilimency off of me and I'll be fine. Don't make it look like I can block him though. We need him to think that I'm still a weak little squib.- Harry said to Silva who just nodded. "Good evening, Professor. I'm doing well," Harry replied politely as he felt Dumbledore and Silva's magic reach out into his body.

-He tried to look into Hermione's mind earlier, but it seems she was able to lock the memory of your conversation away. Bright girl.-

-I know.- Harry agreed.

"Poppy tells me your wounds were healed by Silva," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, sir. I have been healed for several hours now," Harry replied.

-You know, it was this old coot that locked you up here.-

-Hey! Show some respect! I know you don't like him, but he's still a respectable wizard!- Harry cried back at Silva. –He's just old.-

-Yeah, like old age is an acceptable excuse for all the mistakes he has and is making in his life.- Silva scoffed.

"Interesting. Silva seems fairly powerful for a silver griffon cub. Hagrid had said that he was energetic and playful while Silva was in his possession."

Harry shrugged knowing that it was a trick statement to throw Harry off into revealing any information Harry might know about Silva that he did not want Dumbledore to know. Dumbledore may be wise, manipulative and sly, but Harry was the ultimate swindler. No one could get past him when it comes to a battle of wits. "I'm not sure myself. You will have to ask Silva as he does not tell me everything. Says my head will explode if he did."

Silva gave a coo which Dumbledore laughed to. Harry was laughing inwardly as he knew that Silva was saying, 'Go away you old coot!'. Apparently, Dumbledore did not have as much knowledge Harry had once believed the old wizard had.

"Well, I must be off now, Harry. I do hope we can chat again some other time," Dumbledore said as he walked towards the exit. "Oh, and you may leave the infirmary now. Poppy just cleared you."

-Slimy old coot!- Silva sneered at Dumbledore, but only Harry could hear it.

-Be nice.- Harry warned. –You can curse at him all you want when I'm not listening.-

-Fine.-

**

* * *

Author's Note: **Thanks for all the reviews. I greatly appreciate everyone who took the time to post a response. I think this is the most reviews I've ever received for one chapter. Like the previous chapters, there have been some concerns that has been brought up that won't be answered in this chapter and I will answer them the best I can.

No-Digital-Voice: For Harry's rashness, this is something he never got over. Sure he has tens of thousands of years of experience, but never once had Harry had to constantly deal with other people. In many ways, Harry is very much a kid. He had spent most of his time learning knowledge about the history of magic, magical skills and mastering magical skills and techniques. When Harry was not studying or training, he was off visiting other worlds in the universe as an observer. Also, Harry is use to having a vast amount of power behind him, so it more than makes up for his rashness in the past. This is something he will confront in the future, but Harry is still growing up.

As for the manipulation, Harry will not become Dumbledore. Harry will intervene, not manipulate. He will show that he does indeed care about his friends by stepping in and diverting harm. Although he can never tell them who he truly is, Harry will do this because he does not want to make someone else do his bidding. Harry is trying to build a link of trust, one that will be strong enough to hold them together regardless of the truth. If Harry uses manipulation, he will never be able to achieve this goal.

A-man: Undercover? I have never made Harry go undercover. He is not pretending to be someone he is not. Nor is Harry seeking to undermine someone's authority. He is merely hiding a truth about himself that will most certainly attract unwanted attention. Hiding his power is Harry's challenge and one he took on for the sake of saving all those he loves. If Harry shows that he is the most powerful being on the face of the Earth, think of the changes it will make to the path the lives of everyone in the world. This would no longer be a match of destiny, where The-Boy-Who-Lived faces off against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. This would be a match of who can convince Harry to join their side.


	8. James Evans

Chapter 08 – James Evans

* * *

Neville curled up in his bed, shivering in fear. He had never been so scared in his life. No one dared to touch him in the outside world, but those dark creatures came after him. They never had a chance to hurt him before that mysterious black figure cut them down. But it was not before everyone saw how scared Neville looked. He was screaming hysterically when black blood splashed over his body. The figure had just glared at Neville for a moment before killing the other creatures with brilliant ease. 

That figure. That man dressed in black. Or Neville assumed it was a man. There were rumors that say the man's name was James Evans. He would make that person pay for humiliating him. Everyone who humiliated Neville paid a deadly price. Everyone. He would also get Harry Potter back for punching him onto the ground in Potions and Severus Snape for humiliating him in class. There was also the matter of Hermione Granger. It seemed she was a friend of Harry's. That will change soon enough.

Neville took out a quill and quickly started writing a letter to his father. Suddenly, his forehead burned in pain. It centered around the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. The same scar Voldemort had given him and the same scar that made him famous.

"You alright, mate?" Ron asked as he walked into the room.

The pain suddenly vanished when Harry walked into the room. "What did you do to me?" Neville screamed as he slammed Harry against the wall.

"Nothing," Harry replied coolly and was not surprised by this attack at all. Sure Harry could feel the malice from Neville, but there was no intent of killing him. Harry thought of reversing the attack as well, but that would only get him in more trouble than he already was in.

"Liar! Why did my forehead stop hurting when you stepped into the room?" Neville demanded. Ron as standing next to The-Boy-Who-Lived's side with a glare on his face.

"I'd be best if you answer him," Ron said darkly.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Harry lied in a casual manner. A fist slammed against the wall next to Harry's head, but he did not flinch. Harry was not afraid of Neville or Ron. In fact, there wasn't a single person in the universe Harry was afraid of. His only fear was the repetition of his past, a past where he lost all of his friends in a pointless war.

"Answer me!" Neville commanded, but it did not have any effect on Harry. "I'll send you back to the infirmary if you don't!" he threatened.

"I'd like to see you try," Harry laughed as Silva cooed. A knee came up at Harry's stomach, but he slipped out of the way and out of Neville's grasp. Ron tried his luck to recapture Harry, but missed the tackle and slammed into the ground. "You see, Neville," Harry said as he easily dodged Neville's fists, "you only hit me because I let you. My cousin is quite the bully and I find it easier to dodge than to fight back."

"Coward!" Neville spat as he tried to kick Harry only to slam his shin into his chair.

"Yup. I'm Harry Potter, the coward. At least I don't hide behind my father's back. You can't do anything without the power your father controls!" Harry shot back. Ron was back up on his feet and charged another tackle. Harry spun out of the way, but not before redirecting Ron into Neville who was jumping up and down in pain. Ron crashed into Neville in full force and the two boys crashed to the ground and dazed.

"You bloody bastard!" Harry heard Dean cursed as two more boys came rushing at him.

Harry sidestepped to his right as Dean made a lunge to grab him. In the process, Harry left a foot out tripping the boy over and he laughed as the boy crashed to the ground. Seamus tossed a right hook that looked like it should have hit Harry, but missed completely. Harry enjoyed toying with people's sights. He knew exactly how fast to move to trick the human eyes into misjudging distance. However, with his eleven year old body, Harry's abilities were at a minimum. He needed to go through years of training to regain his well-toned body.

Dean was shuffling on the ground trying to recover while Neville and Ron were groaning. Seamus licked his lips as he fell into a boxing stance ready to take Harry on. Harry, however, was not too keen on fighting right now. He came back to this room to get some shuteye. Instead, he found himself locked into a fight with Neville and his pals.

-I don't suppose you can bind them again?- Harry asked his familiar.

-You seem to have things under control.- Silva mused as he perched on his usual spot. –Plus the old coot's watching. I think he's cheering for Neville. Scratch that. He is cheering for the prat.-

-What did I say about calling Dumbledore an old 'coot'?- Harry dodged three quick jabs and quickly moved out of the corner. It was bad if Harry trapped himself since Seamus could pummel him with little difficulty when Harry had no room to move.

-Hey, it's the truth!-

-Truth or not, I don't like it. Call him 'old man' or something less offensive.- Harry noticed that Dean was back up on his feet and ready to join Seamus. He noted that Seamus was already getting his rhythm going while Ron and Neville were recovering. Harry dodged two more of Seamus's quick jabs and allowed himself to be trapped between Dean and Seamus.

-Fine. I'll use 'old man' for now.- Silva agreed reluctantly.

-Good.- Harry deflected the blows from the two boys and directed it at the other boy causing them to injure each other rather than Harry. He let out a chuckle as they both tried again only to find themselves covered with more bruises. _This is some horrible teamwork, _Harry laughed inwardly as he let Dean and Seamus fight on about themselves. He had not planned for the two to start fighting each other, but Harry was not going to complain. –What does Dumbledore think of the fight so far?-

-He thinks you're moving far too clumsily to not get hit. He's calling it luck right now and hopes your luck runs out against Neville. However, it is as plain as day that you are trying really hard to look that way.-

-Luckily McGonagall and Hermione aren't here. They probably could see though this ploy.- Harry noted as he readied himself for Neville. "Calling me a coward, Neville? You can't even fight against me fairly. Four on one? Who's the coward now?" Ron charged again, but Harry ducked out the way as the redhead leaped for a tackle. Instead of hitting Harry, Ron smashed into Dean and Seamus which started a three-way fight between the three boys. "And there was one left," Harry laughed as Neville seemed to shift nervously. "What are you afraid of, Neville? You're bigger than me, stronger than me, hell, you're even more powerful than me! You're the bloody Boy-Who-Lived for Merlin's sake!"

_Oh yeah, that got him!_ Harry laughed silently as Neville raised his fists into a fighting stance. Neville took four steps forward before launching a powerful punch, but Harry stepped to the side and Neville fell through. He staggered a few steps before recovering and turned back to face Harry.

"Why don't you fight back, Potter?" Neville sneered as he tossed another punch. "Dodging won't let you win!"

"I don't need to fight back," Harry laughed as he danced around Neville swiftly. However, Harry did notice his body was tiring fairly quickly. He would need to start his morning exercises tomorrow to get into better shape. "I already won!"

If there was one thing Neville hated, it was losing. Especially against Harry Potter. Neville charged at Harry who he trapped in a corner and raised his right arm to attack. But he had not expected Harry to step forward. Neville lost his balance when he tripped over Harry's foot. Unable to regain balance, Neville could only watch as the wall came closer and closer until his face smashed into it.

Harry was laughing when a sudden voice asked, "What's going on here?" Harry turned to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway.

"Harry did something to make my forehead hurt!" Neville cried out before Harry could say anything. "Then he beat us all up!" Ron, Dean and Seamus, who were glaring at each other, nodded in agreement. They could set their differences aside, if was for Neville.

"Is this true, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as he turned to face Harry.

Harry shrugged as he knew Dumbledore would not take his side. "They actually beat themselves up, but I doubt they will admit it."

"Liar!" all four boys cried in unison.

"Dean and I came in and found Ron and Neville beaten up on the ground!" Seamus called out.

Dumbledore gave Harry a stern look and said, "You have an additional week of detention and will serve it with Professor Snape. You are to report to him this instant as you missed your detention session today."

Harry sighed and complied. There was no use arguing with the great wizard. Dumbledore was an adult while Harry was just a child. And Neville could easily force Dumbledore to make such a decision as well. Once more, the entire world was against him. But this time Harry was not The-Boy-Who-Lived. Harry wished he had just stayed home. Neville was getting on his nerves. There were quite a few times where Harry wanted to just let his instincts take over and beat Neville to pulp, but his conscience got the better of him.

"Just to let you know, Neville, your forehead was not hurting. It was actually the scar on your forehead. It's a cursed scar so you should take the pain as a warning," Harry said before he walked out the door. He knew Dumbledore's eyes were pinned to his back, but Harry did not care. –He is an old coot.- Harry agreed with Silva.

-I told you. So, can I use 'coot' now, or am I still stuck with 'old man'?- Silva laughed.

-Coot.- Harry answered simply as he made his way out of the Gryffindor Tower.

Neville plopped himself down in his chair angrily while Dumbledore stood in the doorway. "What did Potter mean?" Neville demanded and answer from the headmaster.

"You see, Neville, when the Killing Curse rebounded, it left a scar. No one has survived the curse before, but I do suspect that scar is cursed. And if my suspicious are correct, that scar connects you to You-Know-Who," Dumbledore answered.

"He's dead. So that isn't possible," Neville spat back ignorantly. He did not know that the Shadow Fiends were conjured by none other than Voldemort.

"Ah, yes. The popular belief is that he is dead, but I personally do not believe it, and neither should you. If your scar hurts, this means that You-Know-Who is alive and his presence caused the pain."

"Then Harry must be You-Know-Who!" Neville accused quickly. "I know it!"

"I do not believe that is the case," Dumbledore replied slowly.

"Then he's possessed! That's why he suddenly had magic!" Ron cried out.

"Interesting notion, but if that were true, than he would have killed Neville on the spot," Dumbledore reasoned which froze all four boys. "I will look into this matter. In the meantime, try and get some rest."

"Dammit!" Neville screamed as he tossed a book at Harry's bed.

Silva easily deflected it as he did not join Harry in the dungeons. Silva trusted Severus Snape more than Albus Dumbledore. At least the Potion Master had secrets to protect his own wellbeing as he was a spy. Dumbledore hid secrets to control those around him.

"He still has a soft spot for the Potters!" Neville fumed as he tossed his chair to the side. "I'm The-Boy-Who-Lived! I'm the famous one! Not Harry!"

"We'll get him back," Ron said as a plan formulated in his mind.

* * *

It took roughly ten minutes before Harry reached the dungeons. But before he could knock, a cold voice said, "Enter." Harry shrugged and pushed the door open. 

"Good evening, Professor Snape," Harry greeted courteously with a bow.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," Severus replied, unable to think of an insult to throw at Harry's polite attitude. He was completely different from his father. "I see you have a knack for troublemaking. The Headmaster gave you another week of detention."

"I do not see detention as a bad thing, Professor," Harry replied, not intimidated by Severus's cold face. "I see detentions as a good learning experience."

"Odd for you to put it that way," Severus replied, intrigued by Harry's answer.

"Why would it be odd, sir? The way I see it, detention is more like a private lesson, sir." Harry explained his reasoning. "I may be cleaning cauldrons or sorting ingredients, but it does not mean I do not learn anything from it, Professor."

Severus almost grinned. Almost. He had asked the Sorting Hat about Harry and the old hat confirmed that Harry was a good candidate for the Slytherin House. He did have his father's brash personality or his mother's fiery temper, but he had kept it in check. Most of the time. Severus had only seen that side of Harry when he was around Neville.

"Interesting answer. If you were in my house I would have awarded you points. But seeing how you are a Gryffindor, I will not. As you have said, you will be cleaning cauldrons tonight. For each cauldron you clean, you are to list the ingredients found and all the potions you can create with the ingredients." This was a tough assignment, but Severus was not about to let Harry off that easily with a good response. He was still a Potter after all.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied respectfully as he began to clean the first cauldron.

Instead of preparing his next lesson, Severus watched over Harry curiously as the boy wrote down the ingredients of the cauldron on a sheet of parchment Severus provided. Surprisingly enough, it was fairly accurate. Not only did Harry list the ingredients, he wrote down the probable order of which they were put in to create the most likely resulting potion. On the bottom of the parchment, Harry listed the other likely potions that could be made.

Severus was highly impressed by Harry's work. He was indeed the son of Lily Evans, the only student who ever outdone Severus in Potions. Severus checked the list before handing Harry a new parchment to start on the second cauldron. Tonight was going to be a long but interesting night.

* * *

Hermione sat in her bed pulling her pillow close as she looked out the window with dreamy eyes. She was thinking about the man who had saved her earlier. James Evans. That was the name he told her. His magic was amazing. Hermione could see the magic that James weaved without a wand. It was a wondrous sight to see as it wrapped around him gently and with each movement of his hands, they flowed swiftly through the air. His magic looked like it was a living thing with a mind of its own. 

And James was mysterious as well. Her time with James was short and their conversation was mainly on Voldemort, which Hermione had kept secret from everyone. All Hermione knew about James was that he was from another world and was here to help Neville. He had half of his face hidden so Hermione did not get a good look at his actual appearance, but she loved his black obsidian eyes. They were so kind and caring.

"Hermione?" a girl's voice called out as a hand waved before her face. Hermione was dragged back to reality and she noticed her four roommates staring at her. Pavarti Patil and Lavender Brown were standing next to Hermione while Demelza Robins and Vicky Frobisher were sitting on the ground with some fortune telling cards lying about.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a crush!" Lavender teased as Hermione flushed pink. "So you do!"

"NO!" Hermione tried to deny, but her face betrayed her.

"So, who is it?" Pavarti asked as the other girls joined in.

"Nobody!" Hermione denied again, but now four pairs of eyes were gleaming at her waiting for her answer. "Fine! It's this guy named James Evans."

"Ooh! Is this the man who saved you earlier?" Demelza squealed excitedly as she sat down next to Hermione. "What's he like?"

"I really don't know," Hermione replied truthfully. "All I know is his name. He wore black clothes and had half of his face covered up."

"Aww…" Vicky pouted as she wanted all the gruesome details but found none. "I know! We'll use magic to draw him from you memory!"

"Um… I kind of promised him that I would not tell anyone…" Hermione said shyly.

"Well, Hagrid already blew his cover. The whole school will know about him by tomorrow," Lavender countered.

"So you aren't saying anymore than what is already told," Pavarti added with a sly smile. They were the masters at gossip and knew how everything worked. "Plus, having a picture of him with you isn't that bad, is it?"

Hermione's eyes sparkled at the thought of having a personal picture of James Evans. She quickly agreed and the five girls began working on the spell. It took until midnight before they were able to cast it correctly. They spent three hours of work and broke several rules, but it was all worth it in the end. Hermione could not keep her roommates from making copies for themselves, but Hermione was content with having her own copy.

"Wow, even with half his face covered, he's still gorgeous!" Lavender squealed as she held the magical photograph of James Evans in her hands. However, this was only a still photograph as they created it from a still memory from Hermione's mind.

"I know!" Pavarti agreed with the same amount of passion as she held her photograph. "He looks so handsome dressed in black!"

Hermione stopped listening to the conversation as they were voicing the same opinions Hermione had on James Evans. She lay down in bed while holding the picture close to her chest. Hermione had charmed it so it would not crumple no matter what happened to it. Slowly, she fell asleep dreaming about the mysterious young man she met just hours before.


	9. A Double Reserve

**Author's Note: **It seems I forgot to address an issue that has come up several times in the reviews: ships. As of this moment, there will be no set ships as they are all just 11 years old and just met. I won't start ships until they are all in their second years. However, I already have an idea of the pairs I want at the end and will work my way there. But remember, just because I paired up two characters doesn't mean that they will stay together (unless they are married. I don't enjoy breaking up a marriage). And no, I won't tell you who will end up with who, but I can say that there will be no slash pairings.

* * *

Chapter 09 – A Double Reserve

It was Saturday and the two weeks of detention was finally over so Harry decided to use his free time after breakfast to do some thinking about his new world in the quiet sanctuary of the Hogwarts Library. In one life, Harry Potter was the reason his parents were killed as well as the rest of his family and those he loved. In this life, Harry Potter was the reason Neville's family was killed.

Harry, disguised as a Death Eater at the time, had convinced Voldemort that a pureblood posed a greater threat than a halfblood. Cruel as it may be, The-Boy-Who-Lived was a vital necessity as long as Voldemort lived. At least Neville still had his parents. Harry only had his spiteful aunt, uncle and cousin.

Voldemort was fairly convinced, but why was it that the reason Voldemort chose to attack the Longbottoms was because Harry was a squib? Then the answer came to him. Dumbledore had determined Harry was a squib a few months after he was born. This information was leaked somehow and got to Voldemort's ears. No wonder why Peter Pettigrew was already dead. Or was he?

In his first life, Peter Pettigrew, better known as Wormtail, betrayed his friends and framed Sirius for murder. It was said that Peter had died, but in fact he was still alive living as the Weasley's family pet: Scabbers. But Ron's familiar was not a rat, but a hyperactive owl named Pig. In this world, it was said Wormtail's body was laid to rest in his family graveyard which Harry had no idea where it was. But Harry did not dismiss the notion there was a chance that it was just an empty casket.

Harry let out a scowl as he knew he should have checked this during his time with Mikhal. His thoughts were broken when an owl flew into his room with a letter from his parents. Harry wasted no time tearing it open and reading it.

_Dear beloved Harry,_

_I thought you said that you were going to keep out of trouble! I heard from Dumbledore about your two fights with Neville. Your father was laughing when Dumbledore told him that you won both fights. Sirius and Remus were asking about the details. But they were quickly disturbed to find that you had to serve detention with Severus. I hope he isn't too hard on you. Severus is a good man, but might hold some malice towards you because of your father and his friends. If he is mean towards you, try and keep your head down._

_I heard you were doing well in your classes. Well, in the theory and homework portions. But Minerva tells me you have a lot of difficulties in spellcasting. I wish I could help you, but she says this is something you have to learn on your own. There's a trick to magic that I've always found useful though. I just visualize the effect, but this may be hard if you do not see it. Memorizing the wand movements and incantations are easy, but making the spell work is the hard part._

_You may seem weaker than most students, but your father and I believe that you will grow stronger! Don't ever give up! When you do, then everything you have worked for is lost. And don't believe everything people say. Hogwarts is a place where rumors and gossip spread faster than light! Keep up the good work and try and stay out of trouble. But if you cross paths with Neville, I don't mind if you give him a good whipping! Don't tell your father I said that! Good luck with your studies and lots of love!_

_-Mom_

Harry laughed as he read the letter. This was the first one he has ever gotten from his mother. In his first life, his parents were killed before he could make any memories of them. Harry was determined not to let that chance slip away. Harry was sure to make lots of memories with his parents. He would live the life he dreamed of for so long.

Harry pulled out a small wooden replica of a door and rubbed it with his thumb three times. A magical doorway opened up next to him and Harry walked in. When Harry walked through, he found himself in the living room of his secret shelter. There were photographs of his parents with him while he was a child. Sirius and Remus's pictures were also there as was the pictures of Harry's twin younger brothers and sisters.

An L-shaped couch was placed before a brick fireplace with a small glass table in front of the couch. There were a few decorative items placed around, but the living room was mostly filled with pictures of his present life. Harry did not place any pictures of his old life as it was something he wanted to remain a secret. Harry lingered in the living room for a moment longer before walking up the steps into his room.

There was his bed in the corner next to the window. A small table stood next to his bed which had a lamp and a few drawers. His wardrobe was placed against the wall at the end of his bed and a bookshelf stood on the opposite wall. It only had fifty or so books on the shelves, but Harry had enchanted it to carry thousands. Harry just had to think of whichever book he wanted to read and the bookshelf will magically bring it up to the front.

Next to his bookshelf was his desk where there were a few parchments on it and some quills. His eyes noticed a frame sitting by his lamp and Harry realized he had forgotten that he did make one picture of his past. In it were the faces of everyone Harry knew. Dumbledore. Members of the Order. Friends. Family. And most importantly, the two who stood right next to him, Ron and Hermione. They were once his best friends, and now, Hermione was forced not to talk to him while Ron was his enemy. Weird how some things worked out.

Harry sat down into his chair with a heavy sigh and pulled open one of the draws. It was empty and for good reason. Harry had cleaned it out specifically for keeping letters his family would send him. He placed the first letter into the drawer and closed it. As much as Harry wanted to remember the feelings he had before, he couldn't. This was part of the deal for his new life. His old emotions would only cloud his judgment.

After a few moments, Harry got up from his seat and walked out of the doorway. With two rubs, the magical doorway disappeared. The doorway was enchanted so only Harry could see where it was or enter it. Anyone else who tried without his permission would just walk through it like air. Harry had plenty of time to build this shelter to perfection. Everything was enchanted and well protected. Not even the higher beings could enter.

Just as Harry sat back down in his chair in the Hogwarts Library, Oliver Wood came up and said, "Professor McGonagall said you would be a good candidate for the Gryffindor Seeker. Tryouts are starting now, would you like to come?"

Harry's eyes lit up to the prospect of playing Quidditch, but there was still one problem. Neville Longbottom. How Harry was going to get around the brat, he had no idea. "Of course!" Harry said excitedly with a smile. He had waited a long time to play Quidditch again. Longer than anyone can imagine. This did not mean he did not fly. Oh did Harry fly. He loved his Firebird, but knew it was illegal to use a broom like that. _Maybe I could construct a Firebolt_… Harry thought to himself as he followed Oliver.

"Have you played Quidditch before?" Oliver asked.

"I couldn't fly until three weeks ago, so unfortunately I have not played," Harry lied naturally.

"Wow. And to be recommended as seeker by McGonagall with at most three weeks of flying experience, you must be a natural!"

"Well, my father is James Potter," Harry said as they passed the familiar trophies. Oliver laughed as he agreed to Harry's statement. What Oliver did not know, was that Harry had enough experience in the air to outdo his father. "I know the basics of Quidditch, as my father loved the game. So who do we have playing each position?"

"I'm the captain and Keeper. Fred and George Weasley are the Beaters. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet are our Chasers. The Minister has made Neville our Seeker, but we are still holding tryouts for reserve players." Oliver replied as they walked out of Hogwarts and towards the Quidditch pitch. "And truthfully speaking, Neville is horrible."

Harry laughed as he knew exactly how horrible the old Neville was with a broom. The current Neville was not fairing much better, but at least he could fly straight. "How do tryouts work out?" Harry asked as they entered the pitch. Hundreds of Gryffindors were lined up for tryouts for the reserve positions. Harry noted that Cormac McLaggen was in the crowd for Keeper and the memory of a Bludger hitting the back of his head popped into his mind.

"Well, for Seekers, we will release ten Golden Snitches into the air. Only ten will make it to the second round. The second round we will release two snitches into the air. The two who catches the snitches will go onto the last round which is with one snitch. Winner becomes the Gryffindor reserve Seeker." Oliver explained. "Normally it is only two rounds, the two at the end or round two face off to see which becomes our reserve Seeker. But the Minister forced us to make Neville seeker."

Harry sensed a bit of malice from Oliver towards Neville and Harry did not blame him. Neville and his family abused the power and fame given to them. As to why people followed them? They wanted a share of that power as well. Harry was amazed that Lucius Malfoy did not get along with Frank Longbottom. Then again, they were enemies just a little over ten years ago.

Harry split up from Oliver and lined up behind eighty eager yet nervous Gryffindors waiting for the release of the Golden Snitches. Harry was completely relaxed as there was no possible way anyone could beat him. They had to search for the snitch while Harry could follow them through the air. In one of Harry's travels with Mikhal, Harry had to catch an alien bird that flew just as fast as his Firebird and moved just as spontaneous as the Golden Snitch. Harry spent three hundred days getting use to following something that fast with his eyes before attempting to catch it. So a Golden Snitch was nothing to Harry.

Harry noticed that Oliver was explaining how the tryouts worked and decided to listen in. The Chasers would try and score past him while dodging Bludgers fired by the infamous Weasley twins. Keepers had to block ten goals shot by Katie, Alicia and Angelina. And Beaters, they were to try and hit Katie, Alicia or Angelina. Madam Hooch was also here to watch the tryouts and see who caught a snitch. This was one crazy tryout as every position was tested out during the same time. Harry had worked tryouts his sixth year and split it up across an entire day. Harry just shrugged as this was probably better and less time consuming.

When Oliver was done, Madam Hooch released the ten Snitches into the air. Harry waited patiently for the thirty seconds to be up before he could try and catch one of the Snitches. During that time, Harry wondered if he should catch the closest one or the farthest one. All of them were in his sight. The whistle blew and everyone blasted off into the air. Harry decided to just grab the closest one and try and get some practice in with the Chasers. He thought it would be fun to play some other positions as he was just a reserve after all.

Harry saw the closest Snitch and dashed towards it. No one followed as they did not believe a first year could see a Snitch that early on. Oh how wrong they were. Harry kicked his broom in full speed, but it was an old school broom so it was far too slow. But at least everyone was using the same brooms for the Seeker tryouts at least.

The Snitch dove down and Harry followed. Not a single person trying out cared to look at Harry. Suddenly, the Snitch shot left and Harry jerked his broom around to follow. He hated the old school brooms. They moved and reacted far too slow. Again Harry kicked his broom to chase after the Snitch. It weaved around through the Keeper tryout area which was where all the Bludgers were flying. Some of the Beaters actually tried to hit Harry, but he dodged with ease. It did not distract his concentration from the Snitch in the least.

Harry was up high in the air again chasing the Snitch when some of the Gryffindor's finally caught on. He cursed at the slow broom as he turned again. Several Gryffindors were chasing after him, but none had the skills to maneuver the old brooms to keep up with the sporadic movements of the Snitch. Many were slamming into each other knocking some of them away from the chase.

Harry dove once more as the Snitch was just outside of his reach. He was zooming towards the ground at great speeds and many of those who had followed broke away. Two still followed as they came closer and closer to the ground. The Snitch was ten feet off the ground before it changed left. Harry, having the greater advantage of higher reflexes, yanked his broom around to follow the Snitch. One of the potential seekers behind Harry smashed into the ground as he hesitated because he did not know which way to turn. The other broke off to the left guessing the wrong direction.

Once more, Harry was alone in the chase after the Snitch when he heard the laughter of Neville. Harry made a quick glance and noticed Neville had taken a bat from one of the Beaters and was about to fire one at him. The Snitch was just an inch out of his reach, but a Bludger would be heading his way soon. Harry did the one thing he knew would work. He quickly stood up on his broom, made a single step run and jumped at the Snitch. A Bludger smashed into the ground, passing through where Harry would have been if he stayed on the broom.

Everyone was watching now as Harry was soaring through the air. In a flash, Harry came down on the Snitch and slammed into the ground. Harry quickly curled up and rolled, breaking his fall before getting back on his feet swiftly. Everyone was staring at him wondering if he had caught the Snitch and Harry showed it. In his hand was a golden ball with thin golden wings that fluttered rapidly.

Harry made it a point to beam at Neville who was red in fury. Not only had his Bludger missed, Harry had also caught the snitch within ten minutes after the initial release. This was faster than anyone has ever caught the Snitch with an old school broom. Madam Hooch rushed to Harry's side checking for injuries and found none which shocked everyone even more. This was one of the skills Harry had developed while chasing the stupid alien bird. But that was going even faster.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Oliver cried out as he touched down before Harry.

"I must agree," Hooch said. "Where did you learn all those moves?"

Harry shrugged with a smug smile across his face. "What can I say? I'm the son of James Potter."

"Bloody hell! Do we even need to hold tryouts for Seeker anymore?" One of the candidates asked.

Oliver thought about it, but Harry spoke up, "You should continue the tryouts. I want to try out for a Chaser position as well. I know it's not normal, but I would like to be both reserves for Seeker and Chaser."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at Harry's request. Whispers echoed through the air as a player has never requested to for playing as reserves for two positions. But then again, Neville's position as Seeker was locked down regardless if there was a better candidate. That is, until Oliver could find a reason to override the Minister's lock on Neville's position. "Very well," Oliver agreed. He could place Harry into the game as Chaser if Neville could not catch the Snitch in time. "We will continue tryouts for a second Seeker Reserve. Harry Potter is currently our first. He will double as a Chaser Reserve."

-Yeah, yeah.- Harry said to Silva before his familiar could start. –I know I'm not keeping a low profile, but I still want my house to win the Quidditch Cup! El fatso couldn't catch the Snitch even _if _he had the Firebird.-

-Yeah, that's because only you could control that thing. That was the whole reason for chasing that bird in the first place.- Silva replied.

"That was a blood dangerous stun you pulled there," a familiar voice spoke out.

"And a bloody brilliant one. How do you do, I'm George Weasley," the same voice said from another direction.

"And I'm Fred Weasley," the first one introduced himself.

"Welcome to the team, mate," the redheaded twins welcomed in unison.

A smile grew across Harry's face as he found himself in the company of the mischievous Weasley twins. Silva had noted that the two were better than their younger brother and shared a hatred of Neville Longbottom. Harry was too busy with his detention to get a chance to properly meet the two in the past two weeks, but now that they were here, he mind as well introduce himself. "Hi. I'm Harry Potter," Harry greeted as he shook the hands of the twins.

"Ah, the infamous Squib," Fred said.

"That dueled Longbottom in a fistfight." George continued.

"And survived Snape's torture."

"And humiliated our younger brother."

"But we don't harbor ill feelings, he's a bloody git anyways," the twins whispered the ending in unison.

"So, ready for Chaser tryouts?" George asked.

"I want to see if I can actually hit you." Fred said with a smile as he raised his bat.

"I wonder if you could," Harry challenged as he picked his broom off the ground. When Harry made his way to the Chaser Tryout half of the pitch, he noticed majority of the candidates were already down on the ground and groaning in pain.

"Still think you can get past us?" The twins asked in unison as they flew up into the air with their bats ready.

"Alright, when you're ready, grab the Quaffle and begin," Oliver said as he glided to the goal post.

Harry wasted no time in picking up the Quaffle and blasting off into the air. Suddenly, a Bludger shot from his left which he dodged with some difficulty. It came back at blazing speeds which Harry dodged again. This time it was closer to hitting his shoulder. _Damn… I just realized I never had to go against these two! _Harry cursed as he began to weave through the air making it hard for the twins to aim. Yet, they blasted the Bludger back and forth relentlessly and with vicious accuracy. It was only because Harry was trained to dodge spells in air combat that he was able to dodge the Bludgers. Spells worked much faster. And it usually came from multiple directions.

Harry barely had time to concentrate for a shot, but he still was able to get one off. Harry nearly tricked Oliver to block right, but the veteran Keeper saw through at the last moment. Harry zoomed past the goals as Oliver deflected the Quaffle making Harry the second person to make it past the twins. The first was a second year named Geoffrey Hooper who never had a chance to get a shot off.

"Almost had you there," Fred said as he joined Harry on the ground. Harry had sat down in exhaustion from playing every trick in his book to dodge Fred and George's deadly volleying.

"You lasted longer than our Chasers when we play seriously," George laughed.

"We were actually going easy on the candidates," Fred explained.

"But since you made it as Seeker, we thought we would up it a notch."

"Who would have thought that you would actually make us use our skills in the end?"

Harry laughed with the Weasley twins as he flopped down on his back. "That was some good practice," Harry said as he slowed his breathing down. "Go easy on the others," Harry noted as the twins mounted their brooms to find the four more Chaser reserve players.

"Don't think that because you made reserve that you'll be playing, Potter," Neville spat as he cast a shadow over Harry.

"Oh, I will be playing, Neville. I promise you that. You can't win the game even if you had a Firebolt," Harry fired back as he closed his eyes to rest. He knew Neville would not attack him here. Not while Madam Hooch was standing right behind him. Harry had chose this spot purposely so he could rest after an exhausting run against the twins.

"You'll see. I'll bring out my Firebolt and you will see!" Neville promised.

"Yeah. Sure, Neville. You'll probably crash into the stands with that broom," Harry replied lazily. Harry probably should have kept his mouth quiet, as he did want to rest, but making fun of Neville was worth the delay. "And nice shot trying to knock me off the broom. That was pretty inconspicuous, Neville, but I saw you blast that Bludger at me. Too bad you suck at that too."

"I would have hit you if you stayed on your broom!" Neville fumed loudly which caught the attention of Hooch.

"Mr. Longbottom! Did you actually interfere with the tryout of one of the candidates?" Hooch question which made Neville swallow hard. Apparently everyone else heard it too.

Harry had a smile across his face as he lay in the grass while Neville was taken away from the pitch. Finally, peace at last. But it was well worth the delay. Harry may not have many friends on his side, but he made a few friends and allies. Ones that weren't mindless followers of a false hero.


	10. The Plan

Chapter 10 – The Plan

* * *

Monday came quickly after the Quidditch tryouts. Good news came to Harry that weekend as Professor McGonagall had personally punished Neville for his stunt to remove Harry from entering the Quidditch team. Neville had his broom taken away for two months and a suspended for his first Quidditch game which was against the Slytherin house. Harry wore a smug smile across his face all weekend as Oliver had pushed Harry into the spot of Gryffindor Seeker for their first match. Although the match was one month away, Oliver was holding practice sessions three times a week just to prepare for the Slytherin match. Harry knew how much winning the Slytherin match would mean for Oliver, but Harry had a plan for that match. A plan that would humiliate the Slytherin team to no end. 

As Harry sat down in the Great Hall for breakfast, he reviewed his list of preparations for this day. Harry looked over his notes and was ready for Potions, Transfiguration and Charms. He noticed that during this weekend, he found Hermione hanging around Ron more often as her friends, Lavender, Pavarti, Demelza and Vicky always crowded around Neville and his three friends. However, Harry could tell that Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus used Hermione as a tool to finish their homework. At least the girls tried to understand the work with the help of Hermione. The four boys just made Hermione do their homework as they talked about Quidditch or what not.

Harry felt sad for Hermione as she was too kind hearted in this world to speak up. Harry also felt that Hermione was not willing to face the fact that they were just using her. Something was causing the change between the Hermione of Harry's past and the one present. Harry just could not put his finger on it. Silva had volunteered to peer into Hermione's mind to find out, but Harry objected.

He sighed as he finished his breakfast. Since Harry's second day at Hogwarts, he began to wake up at five in the morning for morning exercises. Harry would jog for an hour before doing a series of pushups, sit ups, pull-ups, and light weights. Only Dumbledore seemed to notice Harry's morning exercises as Harry noticed the headmaster casting a watchful eye over him.

Harry would return to the dormitory around seven, wash up and change into his daily robes for breakfast. In the Great Hall, Harry would see Hermione there alone in the morning, but she had been force to never talk to Harry, so he decided not to make her life any harder. Harry could see the changes in people's personality from the difference in who they meet, but for Hermione, Harry just did not know.

In his past life, Hermione always visited him at the Burrows or Grimmauld Place. Harry had met her parents on several occasions, but had very little knowledge of Hermione's life outside of Hogwarts. Harry had deduced that the change was because of the changes in Hermione's childhood life, but even then Harry did not know much. Some kind of best friend Harry was.

On the other hand, Ron's changes were fairly obvious. He had the same upbringing, but his friendship with Neville changed him drastically. Harry and Neville's personalities as The-Boy-Who-Lived directly affected Ron's personality. Harry was brave, honorable and had uncertainties that pulled him back. The old Ron was brave, mostly honorable and unsure of what he wanted to do. There was also Hermione there to keep Ron in check. Neville was selfish, pompous, self-centered arrogant brat who believed that the world revolved around him. The present Ron inherited the same traits and Hermione was not there to keep Ron in check.

Of course all the girls fluttered around Neville hoping to be the first girlfriend of The-Boy-Who-Lived. This much was the same. Girls had swarmed Harry when he was The-Boy-Who-Lived. Boys tried to become friends with him for a piece of the fame, but it seemed Ron, Dean and Seamus already had that position locked down. For Harry, he knew when this war was over, his name would be the one people chanted as the savior, not Neville's.

And the reason was simple. If Neville fought Voldemort, the world would be destroyed regardless of who won. It is because their wands share similar cores. If Neville used the Killing Curse at the same time as Voldemort while in a close proximity, the wands would explode and cause the same reaction that destroyed the world when Harry used it. This time around, Harry would break the Prophecy and kill Voldemort with his own hands.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when two older boys sat down on either side him. "Morning, Harry," the twins spoke in unison.

"You're up early." Fred noted as a plate of breakfast appeared before him.

"Preparing for the old snake's class?" George asked as he dug into his breakfast.

"No. I already made the potion Professor Snape is teaching in today's class. I got an E for the potion I think. I paused a moment because I lost count of how many stirs. Currently, I'm actually studying for Charms. We're doing the Levitation Charm today." Harry replied.

And then it hit him like some taking the advance potions book and slamming it against the side of his face. Today was the day Harry and Ron saved Hermione from the Mountain Troll their first year. However, Harry doubted that Neville would care about Hermione's safety over his own. He needed a way to keep Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus from reaching the Great Hall when the Troll appears. Lucky for Harry, he had the two best people for that job. "How would you like it if I said I have a great plan to get Neville and his friends?" Harry asked the twins with a wide grin.

"Aren't you supposed to be studying Levitation Charm, Harry ol' boy?" Fred asked in a joking tone.

"And keeping out of trouble so you won't end up at the dungeons again?" George followed as he paused from his breakfast.

"Who ever said I was a part of this plan?" Harry countered as his grin grew wider.

"O' brother of mine," George began as he looked over to Fred.

"I think we found ourselves the perfect candidate," Fred continued.

"To train as our successor!" they finished in unison.

"Ah, there's no need for training," Harry said. "I'm the son of the legendary Marauder's ringleader. I was born a prankster."

"Even better!" Fred and George cried out gleefully. Fortunately, no one heard as their voices were dampened by the growing noise in the Great Hall.

"Now, here's the plan," Harry began as he scribbled down a rough sketch onto a scrap piece of parchment. He laid out the plans perfectly so that Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus would be forced into a situation they could not run away from. Harry only prayed that the events would unfold similar to the way it did in his first life as The-Boy-Who-Lived.

_Don't worry, it will. _A voice assured him. Harry smiled as he knew the voice belonged to Mikhal.

* * *

Harry walked to Potions alone like every other Potions class and sat down next to Blaise on the Slytherin side of the classroom. He had become friends with her over the course of the two weeks as none of the Gryffindors wanted to be his friend. With the exception of Hermione, but she was forced to withdraw from their friendship. Harry would make sure that Neville will pay for making that decision. To do that, Harry would need to bring Dumbledore to his side. As much as he respected Dumbledore, Harry had not forgiven the headmaster for playing favorites over choosing between right and wrong. 

But perhaps Harry did not need the aid of Dumbledore. Harry had made a fairly good impression upon Severus during his two weeks of detention and was the only Gryffindor to ever get on the Potion Master's good side. He was able to convince Severus that he was able to control his wild side, the part of him Harry inherited from his father. Because of that, Harry was actually able to receive fair grades for his potions. Neville, on the other hand, never finished a single one as his potions exploded every time. There was not a single person who would deny the fact that Neville's potions received a T every single time. Severus had also made it a well known fact that Harry was not receiving the three-foot long essays majority of the Gryffindors received.

It was odd that Harry formed a bond with the Slytherins rather than the Gryffindors. He was an outcast of his own house and taken in by his rival house. Ever since the first day of class, Harry had distinguished himself from the Gryffindors by going against Neville, so Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott did little against Harry. They mostly ignored him and ganged up against Neville.

"Why is it that you weren't sorted into Slytherin?" Blaise asked after she pulled out some parchment and quills.

There were many ways Harry could answer this question, but none that would not give away that Harry was more than he seems. "I asked the hat if I could be in Gryffindor like my parents. I didn't think it would work." Harry answered.

It was partially true, as Harry did ask to be placed into Gryffindor, but it was more like Harry did not want to face his parents if he was sorted into Slytherin. Harry knew his parents did not believe all Slytherins were bad or evil; it was just because of Harry's past that would make his parents think he would travel down that path.

To be honest, Harry could have been sorted into any of the four houses. He had courage of a Gryffindor, intelligence of a Ravenclaw, ambition of a Slytherin and heart of a Hufflepuff. There was no one Harry would not befriend, if they wish to be his friend. Harry's knowledge was immense even though the information he retained was just a fraction of his true knowledge. Harry would not cower away in a fight to protect his friends and is willing to stand up for what he believes. And greatest of all, Harry's ambition. His ambition overwhelmed all his other qualities as Harry was willing to put just about anything on the line to save this world from its predetermined destruction.

"Hm… I've never heard of the hat putting you into a house because you asked it to…" Blaise said as she twirled her quill in her hand.

Harry smiled as he turned away to hide it. The hat could not be swayed into making a bad decision, but Harry convinced the hat by using his old memories. Most people were the same, as they inherited their original personalities. The changes were which traits were brought out more by the people they met. Like Hermione for example. She has great courage deep within her, but it was not brought out. Ron was always a big-headed prat, but becoming friends with Neville made it worse.

"Well, you would need to have traits of two houses," Harry answered for Blaise. "If the Sorting Hat is stuck in a dilemma of which of two houses to place you in, your opinion becomes the deciding factor."

"Interesting notion, but why is it that I find it hard to believe?" Blaise asked as she leaned to get a good look at Harry's eyes.

Harry quickly noticed that he would not be able to escape that easily so he turned to face Blaise with his emerald green eyes. He had learned a long time ago how to look someone straight and tell a white lie. And so Harry did as he answered, "I'm not lying. But you probably won't believe me unless you ask the hat. There have been few cases where a child shows up carrying equal weight of characteristics of two Houses."

Blaise laughed as she turned back to face the board. "You truly are a Slytherin, Harry. You can lie while looking like you're telling the truth. Cunning as well. I wonder how many people actually realize that you are not what you seem."

Harry stared dumbfounded at Blaise. The original Blaise of his past was no where near as sharp. In fact, he was pretty dull and followed Nott around like Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco. Harry had mastered the technique of undetectable lying, but how did Blaise know?

Blaise laughed again as she noticed Harry's frustration. "You're a Slytherin, Harry. And so am I. If there's one thing everyone knows about Slytherins, it's that you should never trust every word that comes out of their mouth. However, you are also a Gryffindor. Brave, courageous, loyal and kind. I will respect that, but one day you will find that whatever secret you are hiding will hurt you more the longer you hide it. I know you are hiding something.

"Something that is big enough to make you look like an old cast away soldier that had lost a war. I can hear it in your voice and see it in the way you walk, Harry. Your secret weighs heavily down on your shoulders, and I think it's time you tell someone what it is. Preferably someone close and someone you trust. Preferably a Gryffindor." Blaise turned away and fell silent after speaking those words.

Harry could see sadness in her eyes and dared not to speak. Her look made Harry feel as if he reminded her of someone close to her. Someone like him who lost everything to war. As he turned to face the board, Harry could not help but wonder why it is that the ones who suffer most in war are the ones who did not fight.

For a while longer, Harry pondered quietly for an answer, but as soon as nine o'clock hit, Professor Snape stormed into the room and said, "I expect the papers on the effects of Dragon spleen to be on my desk before I arrived and I only see one parchment." Severus spun around on his heels to see all but one Gryffindor shuffle through their bags to find their weekend assignment.

The first thing Snape noticed was that Neville and Ron were picking on Hermione as she was the only one who had followed instructions. "Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Weasley. Why am I not surprised that neither of you could remember such simple instructions? I suspect Miss Granger had told you two many times before the start of this class. Instead of heeding her advice, you chose to talk amongst yourselves thus effectively losing twenty points each."

All the Gryffindors except Hermione groaned when they realized Ron and Neville had lost another forty points for the Gryffindor House while the Slytherins were rolling around their seats laughing. Harry was surprised that Draco had not taken this chance to further cripple the Gryffindors. Instead, he found Draco watching his reaction.

-He's been watching you since your meeting on the train.- Silva informed Harry.

-I know. I think he has been contemplating on letting me join his circle for a while.- Harry replied as he shifted his attention back to Professor Snape. 

-Yes, he has. He is hesitant because you are a Gryffindor. And his father has less influence of him than before. Perhaps this is because he has an older brother.-

-Older brother? How come I don't know about this?-

-Because you hardly ever pay attention to the people here. There are more students attending Hogwarts now than in your past. Cyril Malfoy is the eldest son of Lucius and currently a third year. He is more like the Draco Malfoy of your past. Besides an elder brother, Draco also has two younger sisters whom he takes care of when he is at home because Narcissa Malfoy is dead.-

-Dead? How?- Harry nearly screamed aloud. News of her death disturbed Harry as she played a significant role in Draco's first assignment as a Death Eater. One that took the life of Harry's long time mentor: Albus Dumbledore.

-Officially, murdered by a Muggle, but Draco has his suspicions. He is more noble now than he was before.-

-Will he join our cause?-

-Too early to tell. All Draco cares about is the wellbeing of his two sisters. He is willing to side with the person who will provide his two sisters with the best environment to grow up and live in. Currently, the Pureblood route is the one he is leaning towards, but you can begin to sway him by using Blaise.-

-Blaise?-

-Yes. Draco will not deal with you directly, but if you use your James Evans persona and meet with Blaise, you can convince her to our cause. Then pass to her the world you envision and use her as your middleman to sway Draco. He will be a great ally in the end.-

-Do you know how perfect this is?- Harry smiled as he jot down the instructions for the potion he was to brew in class. He had done it already, but this was just to show that Severus did not give him special treatment.

-Yes, I know. You can meet Blaise as James Evans after you save Hermione.-

* * *

Potions ended with Neville sending himself to the infirmary as he blew up another of his potions. During the free period after Potions, Harry decided to write his second letter to his parents. He disappeared to his room and began his letter. 

_Dear mum and dad,_

_I got your letter before Quidditch tryouts Saturday! Professor McGonagall put in a good word for me to Oliver Wood to let me tryout as Gryffindor's Seeker! Too bad Neville is already Seeker. I was trying out for the reserve position. Needless to say, I ripped through the tryouts! I made it as first reserve in the first round! Neville tried to hit me with a Bludger so I wouldn't be the first to catch the Snitch, but I jumped off my broom over the Bludger and caught the Snitch. I showed him who is better! I know, it was a dangerous maneuver, but I'm fine. Miraculously, I was not injured in the fall. This was probably because I was using the school's old brooms._

_Because of that, Neville had his broom taken away and suspended from the first game. Oliver made me the temporary Seeker and we begin training immediately. I will be playing in our first game against Slytherin. But because Neville won't let me play as the permanent Seeker, I decided to go around the rules and tryout as a Chaser as well. And guess what? I made it! It was tough not getting hit by the Bludger from our current Beaters, Fred and George Weasley, but I still made it. I couldn't get a decent shot off though. The twins are way too good! Oliver wanted six Chaser reserves, but only four made it past their beating. They are also my only friends in Gryffindor. Nobody really likes me because I beat up Neville so many times._

_I tried to become friends with a girl named Hermione Granger. She's a lot like you, mum. Smart, witty, kind, caring, but a bit on the shy side and without your fiery temper. But I think if she loses here shyness, that temper will emerge. I met her on the train to Hogwarts and was on talking terms when Neville forced her not to talk to me anymore. He also threatened other people. How? I don't know, but the Weasley twins are the only ones who don't like Neville. And they are popular so Neville can't do anything to them._

_I made friends in the other houses though. Padma Patil is a nice shy Ravenclaw unlike her twin sister Pavarti Patil who is the Gryffindor princess of gossip. Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones of Hufflepuff help me a lot in the Transfiguration since we have that class together. I also met a girl named Blaise Zabini of Slytherin. She's a good strong person who's not afraid of voicing her opinion. Blaise is also one of the few Slytherins who isn't following Draco Malfoy or Theodore Nott. We met in Potions when I first beat Neville up and got a weeks detention._

_I've been staying out of trouble, but Neville always seems to try and intimidate me. Don't worry; I can outsmart him at his own game. Detention with Professor Snape was not too bad. We got off on a bad start, since he thought I was cheating in class when I answered all his questions. But during detention, he made me list all the ingredients in the cauldron while I had to clean it. I was able to get most of them right and earning his approval. He still scowls at me because I look a lot like you, dad, but he isn't mean because he can see the mum side of me that keeps me in check._

_Well, it's time for lunch. I'll write again sometime soon! I love you, mum. Love you, dad._

_Your son,_

_Harry Potter_

Harry finished the letter, folded it and placed it into an envelope. Silva took it before Harry could hand it over and disappeared. Teleportation was a better way to travel than Apparation. There was no loud crack that set off your location and you did not have to worry about splinching yourself. Also, Hogwarts was only protected against Apparation, not Teleportation so Silva could go in and out without any trouble. When Silva returned, Harry left his room for lunch when he met up with two familiar faces. Actually, it was one familiar face on two people.

"Hello there, Harry!" Fred said with a smile.

"How's your day so far?" George asked as they walked to the Great Hall together.

Harry explained what had happened to Neville in Potions which gave the twins a good laugh. "So, how's the plan coming along?" Harry asked as they were midway through their meals.

"Everything is set," Fred began.

"We just need the pieces to be place," George continued.

"And then we're set to go!" they finished.

"Good," Harry said with a grin. "It's not going to trip if someone else walks through, is it?"

"Nope." The twins answered together.

"At the moment, it is in stasis," Fred said.

"We will need to charm Neville to make him the trigger," George continued.

"Charm him at the end of lunch. I want this to happen just before supper so they miss the meal," Harry said.

"I think we have found ourselves a wicked one!" George noted gleefully.

"That I must agree on!" Fred replied.

Harry finished his meal and left the twins to finish their meal and headed off to Charms to secure himself a front row seat when he suddenly felt something wrong. –Should I tell them about the troll?-

-No. It won't effect the plan.-

-I get the feeling that things aren't going to happen exactly the way it did.-

-This is a different world after all. Plus you will be there as James Evans. If things get out of hand, you can step in.-

-But my gut is telling me that something bad is going to happen. Something worse than what I experienced.-

-Having second thoughts?-

-No. I'm thinking you may need to give me a lot of power tonight.-

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Thanks for the reviews! If not for them I would have forgotten that I could disqualify Neville from a match. Lol. But this is not enough to disqualify him from Quidditch completely. But he will be by the end of first year. Also, in a few chapters three characters will discover Harry's true identity. No, Harry does not reveal them (someone else does) and I'm not saying who.**  
**


	11. The Fight

Chapter 11 – The Fight

* * *

Harry slumped into a chair of the front row in the Charms classroom several minutes before the end of lunch. It was hard securing a seat in the front row after lunch ended as the Ravenclaws fought for those seats. This allowed the Gryffindors to fill up the back seats without a worry. In the past, Harry would have done anything to sit in the back seats, but right now, Harry needed all the tutelage he can receive. Harry thought that even with his magic sealed, he could easily wield a wand. This would be true if Harry owned a normal wand, but a dual core wand was far from normal. 

The power fluctuated like mad when Harry's emotions were not in checked. A week ago, Harry nearly killed a rabbit because he was annoyed by Neville's constant insults towards him. Silva had managed to interfere in time to save Harry from killing the poor rabbit and destroying half the classroom.

For single core wands, the magical core takes energy from the outside world, compresses it and allows the spellcaster to unleash it in the manner the spellcaster wishes. The feeling must be right, which means the spellcaster must know what he is doing for the spell to work, as well as the incantations and wand movements. Thus all spells cast by a witch or wizard is equally as powerful as any other witch or wizard in the world. Excess energy is released harmlessly afterwards.

One of the two cores serves that purpose. The second core is an amplifier. If the wielder chooses, the wielder can absorb more energy into the spell to create a single, more powerful spell, fire multiple shots of one single spell, or the most difficult, multi-spellcasting. Wand movements were no longer necessary as magic weaved with a dual core wand was all done through pure feelings and incantations. Because these wands were so powerful, few wandmakers could actually make them besides the Creators.

Majority of these wands were destroyed when the ancestors of the wizarding world waged war against the Creators. Harry had watched the war unfold and watched as the students slaughtered the masters. Most Creators did not fight back, as they saw the good in the human race, but it was that trust that led to their untimely destruction.

A great amount of magic was lost in that war and ripped away from the Earth. The most powerful spellcasters were exiled from their homes by a race they fathered. With time, they evolved into higher beings and some of them are watching over Harry. However, some of the Creators chose to remain on Earth. They mixed into the human race and passed their blood on, hoping one day a descendant will revived the magic lost in that war. And Harry was one of the descendants. There were a few score in the world, but Harry was the most powerful.

Harry sat idly while looking at his wand. Ollivander was the only wandmaker Harry knew to have ever achieved in reconstructing a dual core wand. And the one Harry held in his hand was that wand. During the last war with the Creators, Mikhal had sent Harry down to the Earth surface forcing him into battle. In the confusion, Harry summoned a wand to avoid having to fight the Creators and the humans.

The wand that came to him was the wand he held in his hand. Once Harry had the wand, he focused all his magic on the wand to save all the Creators still alive. The spell Harry used cause the marble outer shelling and the ivory handle to shatter nearly destroying the wand. After the battle, Harry passed the wand to one of the wandmakers telling them to pass it on until someone was born that could fix the wand. Who knew it would end up with Ollivander. As The-Boy-Who-Lived, Harry was forced to wield the single core wand made from the feather of a phoenix. Now, without that bind, Harry could wield the wand he was supposed to wield.

Harry's thoughts were broken when the bell rang ending lunch. Ravenclaw students poured in within the next minute fighting for front row seats. Harry had a smug smile across his face as he had the seat every Ravenclaw wanted. It was in the dead center right in front of Flitwick. But the reason for this was not because Harry was here to grab the attention of the professor, but because Harry needed the magic of the Charms professor to suppress his own.

After the outburst last week when Harry's wand nearly lost control, Dumbledore had placed Harry under a special supervision by the professors. They were to suppress Harry's magic if it ever became too dangerous. To suppress it, the professors needed to be within ten feet of Harry, thus the reason for sitting so close. Harry was sure he would lose it if Neville and his friends ganged up on Hermione. When the Ministry questioned Ollivander about Harry's wand, Ollivander just explained that because of Harry's inexperience with magic, there were higher chances of Harry accidentally firing a volatile spell. Most people agreed to this explanation, but few were still skeptical.

"Wow, you're early to class!" Padma cried out as she won the battle for the seat next to Harry.

"Yeah, I figured I would get myself a front row seat seeing how horrible my spellcasting is," Harry replied as he mused himself by watching the Ravenclaws fight in a battle royale.

"That's true. Your attitude towards studying is not common for a Gryffindor. In fact, you are the Gryffindor outcast. Why is it that you were sorted there anyways?" Padma asked as she pulled out her books, parchments and quill.

"I asked the hat to put me here. I wouldn't know what to say to my parents if I wasn't," Harry answered.

Hermione was the first of the Gryffindors to arrive to class. With her were Lavender, Pavarti, Demelza and Vicky. The last ones to arrive were Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus. No surprise there. They thought they were the crown kings of Hogwarts and were not afraid to show it. They pushed everyone around including the majority of the upperclassmen and some of the professors. Only the House of Slytherin stood up to Neville and his gang, but they were fighting an uphill battle. Sooner or later, Harry would need to help the Slytherins, but not before he met Blaise as James Evans.

"Alright, class," the voice of Professor Flitwick spoke up. Harry watched as the midget professor made his way up the stack of books so he was at eye level with everyone else in the class. "Today we are learning the Levitation Charm. Can anyone tell me what the incantation is?" Half the hands in the class shot up, each racing to be the first to be in the air for Flitwick to call on. "Yes, Terry," the professor called.

"Wingardium Leviosa." The boy replied.

"Very good. Five points to Ravenclaw. Now open you books to page thirty three and you will find the wand movements for the Levitation Charm." Harry was not surprised that the flipping sounds came from the back of the classroom. The Ravenclaws already had their books out and opened. "We will practice this charm on a feather. Now bring out the feathers I requested that you bring for today." Again, the shuffling came from the back of the classroom. "I will give a short demonstration of the Levitation Charm. Wingardium Leviosa!" With a swift flick of his wand, Professor Flitwick lifted the feather on his desk up into the air. Majority of the class was amazed, but there were few who had seen it before. "Now try it for yourself."

Hundreds of voices incanted, "Wingardium Leviosa," and a fourth of the feathers were up in the air, but no one had the same control over the feather as Professor Flitwick. Harry could not help but turn his head back to look at Neville whose face was red trying to get the spell to work. Ron was trying hard as well, but he was pronouncing the incantations wrong. Seamus and Dean were getting the words right, but the wand movements wrong. That would bring about disastrous affect which Harry had seen before.

Sure enough a loud explosion cracked in the room and everyone turned towards the sound. The feathers exploded into the faces of Dean and Seamus and left them with puffed up hair and a blackened face. Laughter ensued and was quickly diminished by a glare from Neville.

"Wingadim Levosa!" Ron cried out while waving his wand frantically. "Wigardum Levisar? Wingadium Levos?"

"No, no, no. You got it all wrong. It's Wingardium Leviosa." Hermione corrected the redhead. "And, Neville, your wand movements are too jagged. It's swish and flick."

"Well, if you're so smart, why don't you do it?" Ron shot at Hermione.

"Fine. Wingardium Leviosa!" The feather floated into the air as swiftly as Professor Flitwick's.

"Very good! Five points to Gryffindor!" Flitwick congratulated as Hermione was the first student to control the spell perfectly.

"Show off!" Ron shot at Hermione.

"Why don't you just go with the Ravenclaws where you belong?" Neville spat angrily.

"I was only trying to help," Hermione said quickly.

"Does it look like we need _your _help?" Ron fired at Hermione.

"Well, you were-" Hermione started.

"You're trying to make us look bad, aren't you?" Neville accused.

"No!" Hermione cried out. She wanted to protest, but Neville would not let her.

"You think that by proving that you are better than me you can become famous?" Neville was shouting with all his fury while Hermione was at the verge of tears. Harry gritted his teeth trying to control his anger while hoping that Neville would stop, but The-Boy-Who-Lived continued. "Well let me tell you something, Hermione, you are just a Muggleborn orphan. You have no status in this world and will never have any unless I say so!"

_Orphan? Hermione's an orphan? _Harry cried out in his mind suddenly. He remembered Hermione being the sole child of two successful Muggle dentists. A prickle of pain made Harry wince as he remembered how he had brought about the death of Hermione and later, her parents. But he was torn away as the fight continued.

"Neville, you are going too far!" Lavender came to Hermione's defense.

"She was just trying to help out a friend!" Pavarti cried out.

"Friend?" Neville scoffed as he slapped Pavarti across the face. "Who would be friends with this ugly big forehead, buckteeth, insufferable know-it-all?" Everyone was taken back by Neville's actions while Hermione packed her stuff and ran out the door. "And don't you dare do a thing, Professor. Unless you want to lose your job. And if I hear a whisper out of any of you, you know what would happen."

Harry's anger was near breaking point as he gripped his wand tightly. He could feel the magic pulsing and Flitwick was trying hard to control it. So Harry dropped his wand, letting go of his magic and letting his old instincts take over. Instincts that his parents tried to control, but could not. Instincts that made him such a dangerous boy to anger in primary school. Instincts that were fueled by Harry's murderous rage.

The classroom was silent, horrified by the events that happened moments ago. "What's wrong with helping someone?" Harry asked, breaking the long silence. "What's wrong with being nice to someone else? Is that a crime?"

"Yeah, it is, Potter," Neville spat back justifying his actions. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I can put up with your petty insults. I can put up with your pompous and arrogant attitude. But what I won't stand for is you making the kindest and most caring girl in the world cry," Harry said coldly. He spun around and glared at Neville making him fall back.

"I-I'm not sscared o-of y-you!" Neville cried back in fear as he held out his wand. "W-what are y-you going t-to do with-without a wand?"

"Beat the living shit out of you the Muggle way," Harry replied. His green eyes were cold and devoid of life, but his body burned with rage as he began to tear through the aisles savagely. Neville fired off a stunner in desperation which Harry blocked with a book. He jumped up onto the next row and charged quickly up to Neville who was struggling to fire another spell. "Not scared, Neville? Why is it that I sense great fear from you?"

By the time Neville finally got another spell off, Harry had already pounced off the table and tackled Neville to the ground. Harry threw four punches before Ron, Dean and Seamus came to help. Ron was the first to reach Harry, but Harry kicked the redhead sending him crashing down the stairs. Dean and Seamus quickly fell into stance, but Harry fired off four quick jabs knocking the two boys unconscious.

When Harry turned back to face Neville, Neville had his wand up and fired another stunner. Harry quickly ducked under and picked up the book he had dropped earlier. He was just about to use it to knock Neville's wand from the boy's hand when he heard, "Diffindo!"

Harry had the choice of dodging, but he knew if he moved out of the way Lavender would receive the blow. So Harry lashed out with the book hoping it would be enough to dissipate the spell. Unfortunately for Harry, it had only dissipated half of the spell's energy. The remaining portion of the spell cut open a gash on Harry's arm. It stung, but Harry's adrenaline was pumping so much that the pain dulled quickly. Angry that Neville had drawn blood, Harry tossed the remainder of the book at Neville with all his might. Harry almost laughed when heard the cracking of Neville's nose as Neville was too scared to dodge.

Harry walked over and looked down at Neville who was crying his eyes out, but Harry was not finished. He picked up Neville by the collar and pounded his stomach with a series of punches and kicks. When Harry was finished, Neville was on the ground puking his lunch out on the floor and blood dripped from his nose.

"You should be careful of who you're messing with, Neville Longbottom," Harry warned with an icy cold tone. He then leaned over and whispered into Neville's ear, "One day, you may just end up dead for your stupidity."

"Mr. Potter!" Dumbledore's voice called out. "What in Merlin's name happened here?"

Harry walked over to the headmaster while remaining quiet until he was next to Dumbledore and whispered, "You know very well what happened here, Professor. You were watching the whole time. Now I hope you have the right mind not to choose favorites this time. Neville deserved every punch and kick I dealt him and I can assure you that every student in this room, aside from Ron, Dean and Seamus, feel the same way. You saw how cruel they were to Hermione. You saw what Neville did to Pavarti. I will defend the honor of my fellow Gryffindors, but if a single one attacks one of our own, I will not hesitate to take action."

"But you could have gone to-"

"A professor?" Harry finished for Dumbledore. "Which professor is not afraid of the political power Neville possess? The only professor I can name is Professor Snape. But that hardly matters as a majority vote will override his opinion."

Dumbledore stayed quiet for a moment studying Harry, but the boy was unreadable. He could sense nothing, not even Harry's anger and hatred towards Neville. Everything Harry had emitted faded the moment he stepped into this room. This boy was dangerous as an enemy, but a powerful resource as an ally. Dumbledore began to contemplate whether or not he had made a mistake in ignoring Harry until now. Perhaps there was still time to turn things around such that Harry would be under his control.

"Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor for Mr. Potter's actions against Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore said without much thought. Harry was just a boy and needed to be punished. One day, when the punishment was severe enough, Harry would turn around and follow his every command. Children were weak this way and Dumbledore had long since learned to utilize this to his advantage. "Mr. Potter, you will be serving two weeks of detention with Professor Snape. Professor Flitwick, carry on with your class. I will take Mr. Longbottom to the Medical Wing. Mr. Potter, you are to return to your room and stay there for the rest of this afternoon. I will notify Professor McGonagall of your absence and no points will be deducted as long as you do not leave your room. If you take one step outside, twenty points will be deducted and you will gain another week's worth of detention."

Harry just glared at Dumbledore. This was not something Albus Dumbledore would do. At least, not what Harry's late mentor. Something was different about this Dumbledore. As Harry looked into the old man's eyes, he did not find kindness or a warm heart. Only the cold stare of a heartless manipulator. Sure his old mentor manipulated Harry at every turn, but it was all done to strengthen Harry and prepare him for the path he walked. Albus Dumbledore had used manipulation to guide Harry and offer a helping hand without Harry knowing and this was what made Harry strong.

Harry did not waste another moment to look deeper into the old man and walked back to his desk, grabbed his belongings and left without a word. The man he had just faced was not the Albus Dumbledore Harry knew in the past. That man was not his old mentor. Albus Dumbledore had died because of Harry's weakness. Harry's lack of foresight. Harry's naivety. And this Dumbledore was lost to Harry.

-Very nice, I must say.- Silva said to Harry. –You might have gone a bit overboard with Neville, but you handled the old coot just fine.-

-Thanks.- Harry replied with a wide smile. Harry had talked with Silva about an event like this happening. They had hoped this might not happen, but made plans in case it did. However, things played out better than they expected and it worked well with Harry's plan as he could have Silva double as him allowing Harry to change into James Evans. The longer Harry was in his older form, the more power he could store. Harry could not use his wand as it leaves a magical signature to identify him, so using his wandless magic was the only way to go.

-I've already made your double.- Silva informed just before he teleported onto Harry's shoulder. –Hide somewhere.-

Harry was in the stairway just as Silva appeared. He remembered a place where no one would look. –Keep an eye out for Dumbledore.-

-Don't worry. Dumbledore thinks you're already back at your room. Even the Marauders map won't find you.- Silva informed.

Harry made his way up to one of the forbidden levels and into an old dusty room with a piece of furniture covered in a white cloth. Silva quickly healed Harry's wound and then began the spell changing Harry into a twenty-five-year-old version of himself with no hair and black eyes. He had used a younger version of him before, but decided to use an older version of himself in the future to avoid someone thinking he was Harry Potter. Harry transfigured his robes into black cloth long sleeved shirt and pants and made himself a square piece of black cloth to tie around his lower face. For shoes, Harry transfigured his heavy boots to light cloth shoes with a thick leather bottom to move silently. His glasses were no longer needed and he handed them to Silva who teleported it to his room.

Before Harry put on his mask, Harry looked over and saw the only piece of furniture in the room. Harry walked over slowly until he stood before and paused. "The Mirror of Desire," Harry breathed as he pulled away the cloth. He wanted to see this mirror for a while. Harry knew what his deepest desire was, but he wanted to see it with his own eyes to confirm it.

In the mirror, Harry saw his seventeen-year-old self standing there with a wide smile. The lightning shaped scar was burned into his forehead marking him The-Boy-Who-Lived. The seventeen-year-old Ron and Hermione stood next to him in an embrace while laughing and kissing as they were madly in love. A sixteen-year-old Ginny stood to his other side holding his hand. They had dated for a short while before placing it on hold. But Harry never had a chance to love her before she was killed.

Emotions he thought he had given up flowed back into Harry's body and tears began to form. Harry saw his parents standing to either side of his back with a hand on his shoulders. They were smiling at him with pride on their faces. Just like how they were when Harry first saw them. Cedric stood off to the side with Cho smiling and waving. Sirius and Remus were playing around like they were still teenagers. Tonks was there next to Remus pulling him away for a few short kisses.

Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Fred and George stood as a family with great smiles across their faces as their hair blazed like fire. Much like his mother's hair. Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Pavarti and many other Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Slytherins and Hufflepuffs that Harry had met during his years at Hogwarts were standing around with smiles as they chatted like every other day. There was also the house elves led by Dobby and Winky and Buckbeak as well. And finally, Harry looked at the faces of Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Alastor Moody, Sturgis Podmore, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the other members of the Order of the Phoenix and staff of Hogwarts.

Harry fell to his knees and slapped his palms against the surface of the mirror. Tears poured down his cheeks as he howled in sorrow. The pain was greater than Harry had imagined it would ever be. Perhaps it was because the pain was gone for so long that he had forgotten how much it hurts. Or it might have been because this pain was so sudden. Either way it hurt more than when Harry destroyed the Earth nearly killing himself in the process. That pain felt like a prickle from a needle compared to what Harry felt now.

Harry missed his old life. He missed everyone he once knew. He missed who they were and what they meant to him. But they were gone. Forever. Actually, it was more like they never existed. Because Harry was never made The-Boy-Who-Lived, everyone of Harry's past life faded to oblivion. Only he retained memories of them. Even by entering another dimension, Harry would never find them. He had erased them from existence.

"I thought you might have come here sooner," a familiar voice spoke up. Mikhal stood with his walking stick and on his hind legs in the far corner of the room. Harry would answer, but he could not control his sobs and his tears. "You are wondering why all the emotions you erased were resurfacing. That is because all those emotions were taken away to give birth to you in this world. The part of your soul taken away was your hatred, despair, sorrow and pain. This was why you were so violent. However, it will be sealed away after today. I had purposely allowed the emotions to resurface to remind you why you wanted them sealed in the first place."

After ten minutes, Harry was able to gather himself up. His tears were still flowing, but the sobs stopped. "Why couldn't I just change the life I once lived? Why wouldn't they let me?"

"Because that was impossible from the start. We higher beings cannot turn back time and have everything replay the same like a recording. Things change, Harry. Sometimes it gets better, other times it gets worse," Mikhal answered truthfully. He had been waiting for this question to come from Harry for a long time. Mikhal had discovered this several hundred universal years after he took on the training of Harry, but promised to never speak a word unless Harry asked.

"We tried our best to ensure you will live in a world similar to the one destroyed in your final battle, but people are unpredictable. In one life, they may make one decision, but give them a second life, they may make another," Mikhal continued. "Often cases, they would make the same, but sometimes they would take a different route. I was there to ensure that these choices did not affect the overall path too much. This is why there are changes to the people you meet. A decision made could not be reversed, but the result can be altered. All that was needed was your presence. By being present at an event, a decision that was made differently which would cause a different result can be changed back into the original result albeit traces of the changes still remain."

"So the world I live in now is a world that reflects the traces of the alterations made?" Harry asked slightly confused. He was promised the world he dreamt of living in. A world where he could live with family and friends. Was his dream different from his desire?

"Yes. Every alteration made is reflected in the lives of all those you met and will meet. You can say that it has been gathered up all those years while we traveled together and then released to the time your chose to return to. However, now that you are living your life and aging, the changes you make from now until the day you pass on will not be reflected in your later years. So go on, change the events and relationships at your will for they will do no harm. But be careful, Harry. If you try and change too much in a short period of time, the path The-Boy-Who-Lived will travel will change and you may not be able to bend it back. If the world is destroyed, we cannot fix it this time. Good luck," Mikhal said as he disappeared.

Harry smiled as his second mentor left. For Harry, the time that passed between their previous meeting was only three weeks, but for Mikhal the time could be anything between one hour and three thousand years. As Guardian, Mikhal could shorten time or lengthen time to give himself enough time to watch every event in the world.

Harry looked at the Mirror of Desire once more. The pain was still there and was just as bad as before, but Harry somehow felt relieved. Relieved not of the pain, but of the fear of what he might have done. Harry dreaded this moment from the day he set foot in this world. He was afraid that when he saw what the mirror displayed, he would not be strong enough to hold himself together.

But Harry did pull himself together with the help of Mikhal. Guardians are not to interfere with the lives of humans, but Harry was far from human. He was a Guardian Candidate, a being one step higher than that of sentient mortals like humans. Because of this loophole, Mikhal could aid Harry as much as he wished. Harry only gave up his candidacy to become a God, a being one step higher than a Guardian. While Guardians rule over a system of planets, Gods rule over an entire galaxy. All Harry wanted was to live with his friends and family again so giving up the candidacy for God was not a loss. Once Harry finished saving Earth, he would give up his candidacy for Guardian as well. Immortality was not a gift Harry wanted. He had lived long enough in his travels with Mikhal.

Harry pulled the sheets over the mirror covering it up once more. Neville and his friends would soon stumble upon this mirror. But Harry doubted their desires would be as pure as his. Love, trust and faith in the human race were diminishing only to be replaced by hatred, lust, deceit and greed. This was the last of the seven magical mirrors of Avalon that Harry visited. The others were: Valor, Fear, Lies, Truth, Life and Death.

However, when Harry visited the Mirrors of Life and Death, they were destroyed by the paradox that was Harry Potter. The Mirror of Life shows the life of the person standing before it starting from the beginning and ends the moment before death. The Mirror of Death showed exactly how the person standing before it would die. These two mirrors were always kept together for the sake of completion, but because of who Harry is, there were countless possibilities of how his life could continue and equally as many ways Harry could die. Harry could have reconstructed it, but decided to destroy it completely as he believed that everyone should be given Free Will. No one should be controlled by fate or destiny. Harry also made sure that the mirrors could never be reconstructed.

When the mirror was covered, Harry opened the door to his secret shelter which he had yet to name. Harry walked through the portal and into his nice little shelter. He decided to wait there until it was time for his entrance. Slumping down in the couch, Harry let his eyelids close and comfort wrap nicely around him. Today had been a long day for Harry Potter and when sleep came, he welcomed it without a second thought.

* * *

**Author's Note:**Neville's a prick isn't he? Well, he isn't going to get any better later on. Only worse. Neither is Dumbledore. Harry is Neville's bitter rival and the two will never get along. Just like how Draco could never get along with The-Boy-Who-Lived. 

Someone had asked about the pairing for Harry and I can say that Harry will not be running around with hundreds of different girls. I don't enjoy reading fics where Harry's a pimp and goes around courting various girls. However, Neville will with minor female characters (there will be no slash so don't expect it) or maybe some major ones. As for Harry, the person he will end up with will be indentified in a couple chapters. Finding her will be a challenge though. Can't say anymore without spoiling the surprise.

Thanks for all the reviews so far and I do hope you continue to enjoy reading it as much as I do enjoy writing it.


	12. The Prank

Chapter 12 – The Prank

* * *

Neville was able to leave the Medical Wing half an hour before supper as he did not enjoy being seen as weak. And being in one of the Medical Wing's beds was a sign of weakness. Crying was a sign of weakness as well, but no one dared to speak openly about what happened in Charms. Sure, rumors spread, but only about how evil Harry was.

However, there was still the fact that Harry had humiliated him yet again before his fellow peers. How could a squib like Harry humiliate the Great Neville Longbottom? What made Harry so different from everyone else? Why was it that only Harry did not fear what Neville could do? Fred and George had their limits. With Harry, there were no limitations. Harry fought back with full fury. Not even the Slytherins who Neville had a feud with dared to fight back in full.

Was it because Harry was at the bottom with nothing to lose that he dares to fight back this way? No. Neville knew Harry still had things he did not want to lose. One was his friendship with Hermione. Else Harry would never have fought so mercilessly this afternoon. Harry was afraid to lose those close to him.

Neville now had a way to strike back at Harry. All he needed to do was a way to exploit this weakness of Harry's. This would all start with Hermione Granger, Harry's first friend, the easiest one to get to and the weakest of those who are known friends of Harry's. Neville knew he could not take Harry face on, as Harry was strongest in a fight head on. His friends were his weakness, and Harry was surrounded by weak people. After Hermione, there was Blaise Zabini, Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, Padma Patil and last, the Weasley twins Fred and George.

"Neville!" Ron's voice called out from ahead. Neville looked up to see the three boys dash down the hall from ahead. They came to a halt next to Neville as Ron asked, "You alright, mate?"

"No," Neville spat back as it was a stupid question to ask. He brushed pasted his three followers and continued down the hall with a scowl across his face. "But I will be. That is once we get back at Potter."

Ron could not help but grin at the prospect of taking revenge on Harry. There were several bruises painted across his body when he fell down the stairs. Some of them were quite painful. "So, what's the plan?"

"Hermione. We humiliate her until she cannot stand it anymore," Neville responded simply.

"What?" Ron exclaimed. Neville had come up with fairly good plans before, but this one was just horrifyingly stupid. Not only was this a bad plan, the chances of backfiring was high and the damage dealt to Neville would destroy image.

"That sounds brilliant!" Ron heard Seamus agree.

"So, what do we do?" asked Dean.

"No," Ron forcefully cut in. "This is not a brilliant plan. This is a bad plan that has a higher chance of harming us than Harry."

"Are you going against me, Ron?" Neville questioned with a glare. He did not like it when people disagreed with him. Not even the three around him. Power was in his hands, not theirs. They did his bidding, not the other way around.

"No, I am not. This plan has a high chance of something going wrong and hurting your image. Sure, you may hate Hermione, I loathe the know-it-all. Sure she may be Harry's weakness, but you cannot deny her mind is brilliant. Think of the advantages we would have if she was under your control. There would not be a single homework assignment you would need to do nor do you have to worry about not being able to outsmart Harry. Plus we could use her as a shield against him. There is no way Harry would hurt Hermione. Not even to get to us." Ron reasoned quickly.

A few weeks ago, Ron would have never considered this plan, but after witnessing the savagery locked inside of Harry, Ron knew that to strike Harry, they needed to do it from an angle Harry could not defend or counter from.

This was like a game of wizard's chess without pawns. At the moment, Neville is at a disadvantage as he is wide open for attacks. No matter how hard Ron may try to place defenses, Harry's attacks just storms through without ever losing power or slowing down. However, if Ron built a line of defense using pawns consisting of bystanders, it would slow Harry down as he would not hurt bystanders nor did he have any pawns to open a path.

The greatest defense against a powerful one man army was to use uninvolved bystanders to create a wall. Even if the one man army decides to plow through, the wall would still serve as a buffer to slow down the approach and give time to find an angle to strike.

Harry would not harm any Gryffindor outside of Neville's inner circle, so Ron would use this to Neville's advantage and build the greatest defense against Harry. He would not only use uninvolved bystanders, he would also mix in Harry's friends. If Harry did not make many, Ron would force friendships to form. Harry was an enemy of Neville's that needed to be taken down, beat and shown his place in the world.

"Why not just crush his friends that don't support me? It'd be killing tow birds with one stone!" Neville fired back liking his idea better. He enjoyed watching those who disobeyed him suffer. Especially after triumphing over them. He also loved to add insult to injury. Nothing gave Neville more joy than stomping down on someone like a fly then showing how far away the person is from reaching Neville.

However, Ron was not about to back down. Harry was dangerous. More dangerous than Neville would want to believe. "You experienced Potter's savageness first hand, Neville. If you push Harry past a limit or give him nothing to lose, you will face it again! And he will not stop like he did this time. He will continue until you have lost everything. Harry Potter is a force not to take lightly. Sure you may have the power of authority, but Potter does not fear it. He does not even fear the fact that you are the most powerful wizard alive!"

Ron knew his answer gave Neville the impression that he would not back down. This was to ensure that Neville would come out on top. Harry was dangerous enough without his savage fury, there was no reason to make him any more dangerous.

"If we use his friends to shield us," Ron continued, "it will give us enough room to find a weak point to attack and stomp Harry down with. We can crush his friends easily and at any time we want. Why not use them for what they are worth before crushing them?"

Neville looked at Ron and knew that his friend was correct. Strategy was Ron's forte, which was the reason Neville recruited Ron in the first place. Dean and Seamus were just the two grunts that defended Neville from any attacks, but they were faring poorly against Harry.

"Fine," Neville agreed, however it did not mean that Neville had to do things Ron's way all the time. "But if a chance to hurt one of Harry's friends comes, I will not hesitate to act. And don't try to stop me."

"Fair enough," Ron replied. He did not need Neville to agree completely, just enough to take it into consideration in the future. Neville was not one to seek alternative methods, but will use them if they are offered. This was the reason Neville had Ron by his side. If there comes a day where Ron could no longer give Neville alternate routes, Ron knew he would be tossed aside like so many other Gryffindors had been in the past few weeks.

Just as the four friends make it past the corner, they found themselves face to face with a wall of water. "Damn your brothers, Ron." Neville spat as he recognized the wall. It was not more than a week ago when Neville was drenched by this wall when he touched the surface of the wall shattering the magic holding the water up. Neville quickly drew his wand preparing himself for any other traps.

When the four friends turned back to where they came from, they saw a block increasing in size. "Reducio!" Dean called out as he pointed his wand at the block. When the spell hit the block, it stopped growing which made the four friends let out a sigh in relief. However, the block suddenly enlarged at speeds faster than before blocking their path in a second.

"If you're father did not follow my father so well, I'd punish him for not being able to control your two brothers," Neville said to Ron as they stared blankly at the wall. The Reducio spell should have shrank the block, instead it enlarged it even faster until it blocked off the hall. "However, I can—" Neville never finished before the wall before them exploded and a large round boulder rolled their direction.

"This is not their doing," Ron said quickly before he turned around and ran. "They don't make plans like these!"

"Shut up and run, Ron," Neville commanded in a sour tone as the four friends ran down the corridor. They slowed down past each corner hoping to turn away to avoid the rolling boulder, but each and every corner was blocked off. As they looked back, they could see the boulder closing the distance. "If you fall behind, don't expect us to notice or care."

Ron looked over to Neville and saw the person he admired—no. The person he aspired to be. Or at least the same type. He wanted to become the powerful bully Neville was. Ron knew that he could never reach the same status as Neville by himself or by simply following Neville; however, if Ron could prove himself useful and remain as Neville's right-hand man, this power will eventually fall into his hands. The magnitude will never be the same, but it was enough.

Ron was not a Slytherin. He did not have a great ambition to become the most powerful, Ron just wanted enough power such that people would listen and follow his orders. Why did he want this power? Because Ron did not wish to end up like his father, Arthur Weasley. That man had to listen to everyone as they looked down and spat upon him. His father was a powerless man everyone bullied, and this was something Ron knew he did not wish to be.

As Ron skid past the only corner not blocked off, he noticed that Dean was missing from the group. He stopped as quickly as he could, but once Seamus dashed past him, a transparent wall of ice cut the three off from the corridor they had just exited. When he turned around, Ron found himself staring at a large pair of doors with a large lion's head in the center.

"Ah, of the four, only three remain," the lion's head spoke in a booming voice. Neville, Ron and Seamus all jumped back as they were not prepared to face a talking door. "I can see that you are easily startled," the door laughed.

"Shut up you old lion and let us pass!" Neville commanded with an annoyed tone. "We have no time for stupid games!"

"Temper, temper! If you were in such a hurry, why didn't you just destroy me and move on with your 'oh-so important lives'?" the door taunted with a grin.

"Fine! Reduct!" Neville shouted as he flicked his wand at the door, but nothing happened. "Reduco!" he tried again with no success.

"Not only are you an ASS, you're also impatient, stupid and incompetent," the door mocked heartlessly. "Hmm... let's see what that spells... I know, a bloody spoiled PRAT!"

"Reducto!" Neville cried out, finally getting the incantation correct, but his wand movements were not.

"Reducto!" Ron incanted and a red stream shot from his wand. A smile lit across his face as he watched the spell smash into the door. However, his smile quickly faded when he saw the red jet bounce harmlessly off the surface of the door and back at him.

"Good reflexes," The door said to Ron, "but foolish. You were so easily goaded into believing that I could be smashed down! you can try however many times you like, but the result would still remain the same. But there is a way to pass. All you need to do is answer my riddle correctly."

Neville glared at the door which just smiled back to taunt Neville and his two friends. "Fine, tell your riddle. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get to supper."

* * *

Fred and George sat back in their seats of the Great Hall with an overly smug grin across their faces. Never in their lives have they imagined that they would meet someone who could think of such a brilliant yet cruel prank to pull.

Their normal tactics were hit and run. This made it easy for the twins to escape the blame game as magic was not used. Instead, they built magical traps they could remotely set off or set a timer. These were set off having the magical signature of Edeges and Wroga Freely as well as a tag with "We Go Freely Co." imprinted there. Of course Fred and George still made various lesser creations like fake wands that turn into a chicken upon use. Those were passed out under their names, but the magical traps were something they kept well hidden to avoid confiscation by their mother.

Using one trap would keep the targets busy for a few hours, but today they followed Harry's plan. They had several corridors leading to the Great Hall set up with traps to force Neville, Ron, Seamus and Dean to certain corridor intersections. In the center of those intersections was another trap that would drag those who triggered the traps to a specific location. The location happened to be one of the girl's restrooms near the dungeons. Why Harry chose that location, neither twin knew, but Harry was adamant in having that as the final location.

While on the topic of Harry, the twins had heard the latest rumor involving him which spoke of a fight. Supposedly Harry ruthlessly beat another first year earning himself another two weeks worth of detention with Snape and sent away to his room. Of course there was no mention of the name of the first year, but judging by how no one seemed to know, Fred and George safely assumed this nameless first year was none other than Neville Longbottom.

"What do you think really happened?" Fred asked George as they watched the student body chat about the most recent rumor.

"Well, considering Harry _is _absent, I'm guessing he really did fight someone," George replied nonchalantly as he amused himself with some of the reactions from the third years.

"So now the question is: how much of it is true."

"If it's Neville, Harry might really have gone that far."

"Yeah, considering their families have been in a feud for as long as the two were born."

"You know, they never said why the Longbottoms and the Potters hated each other," George wondered, but before the conversation could continue, a note appeared before them.

"A note from Harry," Fred informed his brother as he picked it up and opened it.

Fred, George, first I must say "Do not panic." Why? Because there is at least one troll roaming around Hogwarts. Where exactly? Girl's restroom near the dungeons. Yes, the same exact one I had picked. So, when Professor Quirrell comes in shouting about trolls, do not speak a work. Come straight to my room as soon as you can and I will explain everything.

The twins looked at each other for a moment of confusion before bursting into laughter. "Trolls?" Fred asked through his laughter.

"Impossible!" George cried out as they continued to laugh.

But no sooner than those words leave their mouths did the two large doors to the Great Hall explode open and a scrawny man wearing a turban rush in screaming, "T-t-trolls! I-in the d-d-dungeons!" And upon finishing, he collapsed to the ground, fainting because of fear.

"You've got to be bloody kidding me!" Fred exclaimed through the roar of voice screaming in panic.

"Harry has a lot to answer for!" George muttered loud enough for his brother to hear. The two sat calmly as they had ample time to prepare. It was still shocking that there were trolls in Hogwarts, but what occupied their minds was how accurately Harry had called these events.

"Silence!" the voice of the Headmaster boomed over the screams of the students. "Prefects, you are to lead the members of your House back to your respective dormitories. Students, I implore that you follow closely behind your respective Prefects while the Professors and I investigate this disturbance. I am sure that there is nothing to worry about."

* * *

Ron walked past the door of riddles after answering correctly. Unfortunately, he was the only one left as none of his three companions were with him. Neville would have still been here if he had the patience to wait for Ron's answer, but he chose to give the obvious answer which was wrong. A trap was sprung and Neville was dragged off to Merlin knows where.

For Ron, he was fine as he spent several minutes thinking over the answer. As he proceeded past the third corner, Ron saw three boys dangled by their feet against two large wooden doors. Just right out of their reach and on the floor beneath them were their wands.

"Ron," Neville spoke in a warning tone, "Don't utter a single word. Just get us down. And make it quick."

Ron shrugged as he was not going to say anything in the first place. "Diffindo!" he incanted to sever the rope that hung Neville by his feet. When Neville was back on his feet, Ron proceeded to do the same for Dean and Seamus.

"I want to know who did this!" Neville screamed as he kicked the wall opposite of the doors. "I want to—"

Neville never finished his sentence when a deafening roar sounded through the halls sending fear through the bodies of the four boys. As they turned about, they saw four trolls turning the corner at the other end of the hall. The lead troll roared once more as the trolls all raised their large wooden clubs ready for battle.

The four boys wasted no time in turning the opposite direction to run, but when they looked down the corridor, they found a thick wall of ice blocking their exit. Panic rose as they watched the trolls stomp forward in their direction. Fear quickly froze the four from taking another step.

"Ron, think of something fast before those trolls arrive," Neville said quickly with a glare.

Ron did not need to be told twice as he looked about and noticed that they had one option they never explored. Two large wooden doors lay only a foot outside of their reach to his left, however, those doors led to a place no boy was welcomed: the girl's restroom. With the given amount of time Ron had to analyze his current conditions, he could only guess that this was the only possible route of escape they had left. Whoever had set the traps must have anticipated such an attack and hoped to trap them against the trolls.

"This way," Ron said with a shaky voice as he pushed open one of the two wooden doors. The three boys quickly ran through the crack without a second thought as Ron looked at the looming figures of the trolls close the distance between them. After Dean dashed through the opening, Ron followed quickly and slammed the door behind him.

Unfortunately, his actions were made a few moments too late as a troll smashed through the wall on the opposite end of the restroom. Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus all backed against the wall and leaned against it as fear began to dominate their bodies once more. As they watched the troll advance, they had not noticed the door to one of the stalls open. Nor had they seen a young girl with bushy brown hair rubbing her brown swollen eyes.

Everything seemed to slow down as the four boys watched the troll turn and let out another deafening roar. Two more trolls moved in afterwards and roared to answer their leader. Slowly, the leader lifted his club into the air. It was then that they noticed Hermione standing petrified before a twenty foot troll. None of the four boys could move as their bodies were shaking in fear.

The club began to swing downwards when suddenly everything was pulled back to normal time. The club that was swinging in a downward arc was now thrown across the room along with a giant green arm. A trail of blood sprayed behind it splashing onto the stalls before crashing down. As the four boys turned back to the leader troll, they watched it turn towards a figure dressed in black cloth clothes. In the next moment, the body of the troll was up in the air as a ball of fire punched a hole into its chest. There was no deafening roar, just the sound of the corpse falling heavily too the ground signifying the troll's death.

"You know, where I come from the students of the same house protect and take care of one another," the lone figure spoke as two trolls charged at him to attack. One would think the trolls had the advantage in numbers, but the figure dressed in black easily cut down the advancing trolls before casting a quick and silent spell that shot an arrow of fire into the chests of the two trolls.

"This sort of behavior would be something I would expect from a Slytherin who would protect himself before others. However, your four boys wear the proud Gold and Red colors of Gryffindor," the figure continued as he turned back to the boys and rested on a black bladed longsword. There was no doubt in the minds of the five students standing in the restroom that the figure before them was none other than James Evans, the same mysterious man that showed up in the Forbidden Forest not long ago.

"Thanks for the help," Neville spat as he regained his composure. The fear had now passed as the trolls lay dead at the feet of James Evans. "But we didn't need your help. We could have gotten away without your help."

"Oh no, I didn't come here to help you in any way," James spoke with a laugh. "I came here to protect Hermione from being mauled by three trolls. I'm sure the four of you could have escaped while the trolls were busy focused on another target. Speaking of trolls, I do recall that there were four trolls that entered this hall."

Once more, the four boys were on their feet and alert. Their wands were drawn and ready. Next to James, Hermione tried her best to hold in her tears. However, the fear she felt was too overwhelming causing her to collapse to her knees. Suddenly, Hermione felt a gentle hand upon her head causing her to look up. There she saw James with a wide smile genuine enough to convince her that things will work out fine. It was then that Hermione felt a bit of courage stir inside of her and quickly wiped away the forming tears and stood up.

"Ha!" Neville scoffed as he turned back towards James. "There's no troll left! You bluffed, I called and you—" Neville never finished his sentence before the wooden doors shattered open spraying an area with wooden shards and splinters.

"I told you so," James smirked as he used his wandless magic to put away his sword. He watched carefully wondering what the four boys would do as they scattered to avoid the swing of the club.

"Diffindo!" Ron cried out a quick counter as he poised his wand at the troll's leg. He smiled in triumph as the troll crashed down missing its right foot. However, Ron had to dodge quickly to his left as the troll shuffled a handful of large wooden shards into the air.

"Nope, not good enough," James commented to Hermioen as he raised a shield to protect Hermione and himself. "Trolls have regenerative abilities, so any severed part of their body will grow back within a minute. I suppose you already knew that."

Dean was off to the side making a few faces at the troll thinking they had won when the troll swung its left arm out knocking him into the wall behind him. James had expected Neville, Ron and Seamus to help Dean, but he was proven wrong as the three remaining boys just took a few steps back with their eyes concentrated on the troll.

"Don't," James said to Hermione quickly as he held out an arm to hold her back. "Dean is just unconscious. He isn't hurt too badly, but you can't help him without risking getting hit."

"Then—" Hermione began, but James already knew what she was going to say.

"If I go, then I won't be able to protect you," he replied quickly. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure they can defeat the troll."

The troll thrashed out its left arm again and hit the wall causing little to no damage. Although strong, the troll was weakened as it was trying to regenerate its right foot which drained the troll's strength away. It could barely lift the club in its other hand. Hermione relaxed a bit to this discovery; however she was still worried about the boys. Suddenly, the troll slapped its left hand to the ground and remained still. Neville, Ron and Seamus were on their guard again as they did not know what to expect. Then the troll roared as it stood to its full height again and able to raise its club.

"Ron! Cutting off the troll's foot had better not been a joke!" Neville spat as he jumped to the side to dodge the troll's club.

"It wasn't!" Ron exclaimed truthfully as he could not explain why the troll was standing up again. "Look! There's the right foot I cut off!"

"How am I—" Neville began as he ducked under the swing of the club before continuing, "How am I suppose to look when it's attacking me!"

"Sorry!" Ron called out as he circled about the troll to drive its attention away.

"Trolls can regenerate any part of their body that was wounded!" Hermione cried out to help the boys.

"Diffindo!" Seamus cried out as he pointed his wand at the troll's neck, but it was prepared. It easily dodged the spell as it swung the club in a sweeping arc. Seamus quickly jumped back, but he had not moved quickly enough as the tip of the club caught his right arm. He screamed as the force shattered the bones from his right elbow down sending Seamus spinning into the air and into a pile of rubble.

Once more, Hermione tried to make a move to help, but James quickly stopped her. "Why aren't you helping them?" she asked trying to break free from James' grasp.

"The most I'll do is prevent the troll from killing them, but they must defeat the troll on their own," James answered.

"Why?"

"Self-confidence. They must believe that they can defeat it. It will give them courage in the future. Plus they need to learn how to work together. A troll may be big, but if they all worked together, they can take down the troll."

"But they aren't! So could you please help them?"

James looked down at Hermione and felt his body wrench in guilt at the sight of her pleading eyes. It made him feel like a horrible person for leaving Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus to fight the troll on their own. "Are these not the same boys who said all those horrible things to hurt you in class earlier today?"

Hermione had no answer for that question. Instead, she lowered her head and quietly spoke, "They are members of Gryffindor…"

James could not help but smile as he placed a hand on her head. He was proud that Hermione could be so kind. Even he was not this kind in the past. "Very well," James agreed which lit up Hermione's face. "You truly are a kind person, Hermione. But be wary, Hermione. Some people may just end up using you for your kindness. I hope that never happens to you." He then took a few steps forward and let his magic flow out of his body. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he incanted powerfully as he raised both arms into the air.

Hermione watched James carefully as she was entranced by the magic that flowed about him. At first, she saw white streams of magic flow from his body and wrap around James. When James spoke the incantations, the streams of magic turned green and expanded to make a column around him. It looked as if a column of wind surrounded James before a few steams extended out. Hermione traced the streams and found it stretching to the three clubs on the ground. Each stream wrapped tightly around the club before lifting it up into the air with ease.

Of all the times Hermione had done the spell, she had never seen these steams of magic. Nor had she ever seen anything like what she saw now when someone other than James used magic. It was a wondrous sight and Hermione wondered if anyone else could see what she saw.

Hermione then turned back to James and saw the magic around him stir. Then she saw two clubs fly at the troll from one direction. Again, Hermione felt as if his magic had a mind of its own and a mind that collaborated with the mind of James. The troll dodged one of the two clubs and bats away the second, but the third club smashed into its chest knocking it down.

"That should be enough help, don't you think?" James asked as he turned back to Hermione. "Come on, let's get out of here before one of the professors find us here. Neville and Ron should be fine."

Hermione reluctantly agreed as she followed James to the hole that one of the trolls made earlier. Before she walked through, Hermione turned back and saw Ron drop the troll's club upon its head knocking the troll out cold. She smiled as she was relieved of her worries before chasing after James.

Under normal circumstances, Hermione would have stayed and assumed part of the responsibility; however she wanted to speak to James. She hoped this time they could speak of something other than about the events that transpired around them. As she wandered the halls, Hermione wondered where James had gone when he suddenly reappeared by her side.

"I would have thought you either stayed behind or returned back to the Gryffindor dormitory," James said.

"Um…" Hermione began shyly. "I wanted to thank you…"

"There's really no need to. I should have intervened sooner, however I stayed out because I believed Neville would have the courage to protect you. I had thought the person who is The-Boy-Who-Lived would be the same no matter where I go, but it seems I was wrong. For that, I apologize," James said as he squatted down to be at Hermione's height.

"Apology accepted. And thank you for saving me." Hermione said with a bit of embarrassment as she looked down at her feet.

"I know you came in search of me in hopes of talking, but I'm afraid that the halls of Hogwarts are still a dangerous place for you to be. Hurry back to the Gryffindor tower. I promise that we can speak for a longer time in our next meeting," James said quickly as he ushered Hermione to leave. However, he had noticed the presence of an enemy too late. Before he could get Hermione to safety, James noticed eight arrows of ice fly in his direction. He quickly spun around and brought up a shield of fire that blocked and destroyed the arrows. "Go!" He cried out to Hermione. "I'll be fine!"

Hermione lingered only for a moment before following James' instructions and dashing down the halls of Hogwarts. Tears started to form as she was ashamed of the fact she could not help. Hermione was also ashamed that she was so cowardly. In her mind, she asked herself, _Why can't I ever do anything for those around me?_

When Hermione disappeared down the halls, James turned back to face his enemy whom he knew had no interest in Hermione. "Who are you?" a creaky voice asked James.

"Interesting that you would ask who I am without introducing yourself," James laughed as he summoned his black bladed sword. "Then again, I doubt you would, so let's get this over with!" James slashed his sword to his left destroying a segment of the wall and drawing some blood.

"Very good instincts, but that won't be enough!" the creaky voice shouted as a figure leaped out and cast a spell. Fire sprout from the figure's hand and formed a dragon's head. The fired launched forward and tried to close its jaws around James, but James summoned the same dragon but of the water element allowing the spell to clash and canceling each other out.

"We'll see about that!" James challenge in response as he dashed forward with his sword drawn.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Some of the dialogue might seem a bit advance for eleven year old children, but I could not think of a way to convey the message as an eleven year old. Also, I know there are gramatical errors spread across the chapters, but please bear with it for a bit longer. I'm currently more focused on finishing the story than the grammar, but I promise that once I'm near finishing the story, I'll find a beta to clean up the chapters. Thanks for all the great reviews and I hope you do continue to enjoy the story. 


	13. The Beginning

Chapter 13 – The Beginning

* * *

It did not take long before Fred and George crashed through the doorway leading to Harry's room. They both wanted to know why Harry had known about the events that transpired only minutes before. Instead of finding Harry alone in his room, the twins found Harry sitting at his desk writing lines while another student stood next to him. Neither Fred nor George recognized the boy, but he wore the colors of Gryffindor.

However, they did not have time to think about this new person, so Fred and George turned to Harry and asked simultaneously, "You said you would explain everything if we came, so start explaining."

Instead of Harry turning to answer, the boy standing next to him spoke, "Harry did not call you here." For a moment, the twins gave the boy a confused look before he continued, "I did. Now follow closely behind me. We need to leave quickly before the professors become suspicious of other activities occurring in the halls of Hogwarts."

"We weren't talking to you," Fred noted as the boy walked past him and his brother.

"Harry, what's going on?" George asked Harry, but he did not respond.

"He won't respond, you know. The person you see sitting at the desk writing those lines is just a puppet created to make the illusion that Harry is here," the mysterious boy informed the twins. "Now hurry and follow. I will bring you to Harry."

"Why should we trust you?" George asked quickly before the boy could turn around.

"Because if you do not, Harry will die," the boy responded.

"Is that a threat?" Fred spoke as he grabbed the boy's collar.

"No. Harry is currently locked in a battle in which he will most certainly lose. Had I noticed this earlier, we could have avoided this, but I had not and Harry's life depends on our help. The more time we waste here, the less time Harry will have. So choose, Fred and George Weasley. Will you continue to argue or will you come aid me to save the life of Harry Potter?" The boy stared earnestly into the eyes of the twins and made no hostile actions. He showed no fear either; just a calm yet worried expression.

"Fine," Fred agreed as he let go of the boy's collar. "Lead the way."

"Follow closely and do not stray too far from my side. I can keep the both of you invisible to the eyes of the students and professors, but cannot do so if you are not within my reach." The boy did not wait before spinning around and walking down the dormitory steps.

Fred and George quickly followed as they wove through the masses of Gryffindor students crowded in the large common room. As they made their way behind the boy, the twins were amazed at how not a single person turned to face them. It was as if the three of them did not exist. When they were closing in on a wall, they realized they were not heading towards the normal entrance. Instead, it was towards one of the many medieval armors standing next to the fireplace.

"Walk through the wall," the boy said softly as he used one hand to push against the section he was referring to. Instead of stopping his hand, it went into the wall. Unlike other illusions the twins had seen and made, the illusion of the wall did not fade away. It remained there as if it were permanent.

Having little choice in the matter, Fred and George followed the boy's instructions and walked through. Once to the other side, the twins looked back and could see clearly through into the common room. "Blimley! I never knew there was a secret corridor here!" Fred said to George as the boy walked through.

"It's not even on the 'map'," George replied before the boy tapped the wall closing the tunnel and lighting all the hidden torches in the tunnel.

"That's because the Marauders never found this tunnel," the boy said as he resumed his position as leader of the group. "This tunnel leads directly to the entrance of the Dungeons where I suspect Harry would be. We must hurry as Harry's magic is almost out."

Fred and George hurried behind the boy, but there were still many questions unanswered and all of them were never asked. "Who are you anyways?" Fred began as he caught up behind the boy.

"You know, for two pranksters as clever as yourself, I would think you would have figured that one out by now," the boy replied.

"Well, considering how quickly we were dragged into the unforeseeable events, I would think we're doing quite well keeping up with your pace," George shot back.

"True. Very well, I shall give you a hint. Who is Harry never without?" the boy replied.

The twins paused to look at each other for a moment. Neither had an immediate answer before they turned back to chase after the mysterious boy. Then it came to George. "Silva. Wizards that have bonds with griffons share a telepathic link, so Harry is never without Silva."

"Wait, if Silva's a griffon, then how would you be Silva?" Fred asked. The boy then looked back to George who shrugged as he had no answer.

"I am a silver griffon," Silva replied, but it only left the twins more confused. "You know, it would only do you well to study once in a while. We, silver griffons, are known for our ability to use magic unlike our cousins, the gold, bronze and other griffons. However, because we have this ability, our bodies are weaker than our cousins. This is why I have enlisted your aid. Harry will be injured and in near critical state, so the two of you will be there to carry Harry off to safety while I provide us with the cover we need to escape."

"Oh," the twins echoed as they followed Silva.

"You said Harry will be in critical state?" Fred realized as the message had finally sunk in.

"Yes," Silva said quickly as he opened the door leading to their exit.

"Life-threatening critical state or just knocked out critical state?" George asked to clarify.

"Life-threatening. He is fighting a Vaeron. It's a higher evolutionary state a witch or wizard can achieve through magical means. We must move quietly now, so I would suggest the two of you speak your thoughts in your mind. I can easily read them, relay them and reply," Silva said quickly as he halted the twins behind him. –Speak it in your mind and I can hear you clearly.- he said into the minds of both Fred and George.

-Speak? This is more like thinking!- Fred said quickly.

-We can argue semantics later, right now we need to get to Harry.- George spoke in his mind which Silva relayed into Fred's.

-Interesting ability,- Fred commented as he smiled. –It'd be great if we could do this! But we can save that thought for later. Where's Harry now?-

-He should have been here with Blaise. I can see her down the corner, but she's unconscious.- Silva replied.

-Why was-- - Fred's question was cut short when they heard footsteps that sounded around the corner. It was not in a normal pace, but an erratic one. As he peaked around the corner, he saw Snape limping down the hallway clutching his left leg. His left arm was injured as well. Broken perhaps. –Is he—

-No,- Silva answered quickly. –He went to the one place the person who summoned the trolls wanted to go. Instead, he was attacked by the guardian and suffered those injuries.-

-But he's Snape! That greasy old git might be up to Merlin knows what!- George reasoned to support his brother's unspoken claim.

-Severus Snape may be cruel, but he is far from uncaring,- Silva spoke as he pulled Fred and George away from the corner. –He will take Blaise back into the Slytherin dormitory where it is safe. Then he will brew himself a potion to heal his wounds. Severus is not after the Philosopher Stone unlike the Vaeron or Voldemort.- Silva had quickly used his magic to freeze the twins before they exploded upon hear the name of the Dark Lord. –Yes, Voldemort. Not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who, but Voldemort. The two of you will become Harry's most trusted friends, so it would be best if you get use to hearing and using that name quickly. Now, are you ready to cooperate or will you freak out again wasting more time?-

-We'll stop freaking out.- The twins promised quickly, but their voices were a bit shaky.

-Very well.- Silva quickly release the binds on the twins and signaled for the twins to follow. –Once we find Harry, the two of you will have to act quickly. I am not powerful enough to fight Vaeron and win. I can probably hold it back for twenty seconds.-

-Wait. Twenty seconds?- Fred protested quickly.

-That's barely enough time for us to pick up Harry!- George followed.

-It will be enough. Hopefully.- Silva said as they turned the corner. He immediately halted as rubble from the destroyed hallway walls lay in piles before him.

-What the bloody hell happened?- Fred cried out in his mind and held his mouth shut so he would not make a sound. He could not imagine what had happened here as it looked more like a battlefield than a hallway.

To Fred's side, George knelt down to examine the rubble. Some of it was blown to dust. Others were chunks. The most interesting was the charred pieces. Magic was definitely used in this battle, but it was not the usual magic George had seen. Fire spells often continue burning after being used and can only be put out with water spells; however, there was not a single drop of water in the vicinity. Either there exist another spell that can douse magical fire, or the spell itself only burns for an instant.

When George was done examining the rubble, he stood up to take a good look at the walls. There were sections blown open, burned away and cut down. What George found interesting was that along some of the cuts, a part of the wall next to it was singed.

-Where do you think Harry has gone, George?- Silva asked as he noticed George examining his surroundings closely.

-My best guess would be through the opening on the left side of the hall twenty meters ahead of us.- George replied.

-I say Harry's below us.- Fred spoke up quickly which brought the attention of Silva. –There's an entrance to the underground tunnels around here.-

-How do we get down?- Silva asked. But before Fred could answer, the ground beneath them collapsed. Reacting as fast as he could, Silva quickly cast a spell causing the three of them to float gently down the twenty feet drop. –Well, that solves one problem. Now we just need to find-- - Silva never finished as he pushed Fred and George down to the ground and behind the cover of the rubble that once was the ground they stood on.

As Silva looked over, he saw a man dressed in black on the ground lying in a pool of blood. There were wounds all across his body, but those were not the wounds causing so much blood to spill out. On closer inspection, he could see that the man's right arm was severed from his shoulder. However, the man was still alive. He had to be, as this was the person he had come to save.

It was then that Silva noticed another figure enveloped in a brilliant golden light. It only took one look to know it was a woman, but who could it be? Silva continued to watch silently as the woman raised her right arm and incanted a spell. Light began to surround Harry's shoulder and it healed it in an instant.

"Who are you, you accursed woman!" a creaky voice cursed as a third figure exploded from a pile of rubble across the tunnel. It was a man, but Silva knew that the person could hardly be called human anymore. Few Vaerons could be called human after their transformation as the price for their power is their humanity. The only part of a Vaeron that remains human is its form.

Silva watched patiently as the Vaeron cried out while his wounds healed at an alarming rate. When his wounds healed, he lifted up one hand before him and began an incantation. From the tips of the Vaeron's fingers, arrows of fire shot at the woman, but passed through harmlessly as the woman faded away. "Blasted woman. Had she not come, I would have killed this pest. Oh well, she left him here so I mind as well finish what I started. I can chase after her later."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you kill this man," Silva spoke as he teleported himself, Fred and George to Harry's side. –Hurry and lift Harry to his feet!-

-Right!- the twins replied as they quickly performed the task they were assigned to do.

"More allies of the pathetic excuse for a wizard? No matter, none of you will escape alive!" the Vaeron shouted as he summoned balls of fire. But before he could attack, two blade of air shot from Silva's hands and curved through the air. The Vaeron did not have time to react when the blades dug into his chest causing him to lose concentration. "You will pay for that!" the Vearon coughed in pain as his summoned fireballs burned away.

-Harry, open the door to your secret shelter!- Silva ordered quickly as he pulled out a small wooden replica from his robes and placed it in Harry's hand. –I doubt I can hold off his next attack!- With three rubs of his thumb, Harry opened an invisible door before him. –Fred, George, just walk straight!- Silva ordered quickly as he watched the Vaeron's body heal by itself. When Fred and George carried Harry's body through the invisible door, Silva followed quickly and stepped into the living room of Harry's secret shelter.

"Where are we?" Fred asked aloud as he looked around.

"It seems like were in someone's home," George responded as he looked around as well.

"I can explain all that later." Silva said as he walked towards the stairs. "Hurry up and bring Harry this way. He still needs to be healed."

"Right," the twins said together as they carried Harry upstairs.

When they laid Harry down on a bed, the twins realized that the person was much taller than how tall Harry was. Also, they realized that the person looked much older and fit well with the description of a certain mysterious man who had saved the lives of many Gryffindors and Slytherins in the Forbidden Forest.

"This isn't-" George began.

"James Evans-" Fred continued.

"Is it?" they ended together.

"Glad for you to have noticed!" Silva said with a smile as he finished healing Harry. "Yes, this is James Evans, and yes, this is Harry Potter. They are one and the same. And as I promised, I will explain everything. This man here is Harry Potter, the one who was once The-Boy-Who-Lived."

"Isn't Neville The-Boy-Who-Lived?" Fred asked as he had thought what Silva would tell him would make him understand more, not make him more confused.

"He is The-Boy-Who-Lived now, but before Time was reversed, Harry was The-Boy-Who-Lived. This is how he knew of the trolls. Well, Harry only face a single troll and he accomplished it with the help of your brother Ron," Silva replied as he shifted in his seat to face the twins.

"Ron?" George cried out in surprise.

"No way. There's just no way that's possible!" Fred finished for his brother.

"It is, had Harry been The-Boy-Who-Lived. During that time, Harry's best friends were Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jane Granger. But that was not the life Harry wanted to live once more," Silva said with a sorrowful tone.

"Why?" the twins asked in unison as they looked over to Harry who slept soundly.

Silva looked over to Harry before answering, "Because he failed at his duties as The-Boy-Who-Lived. He could not protect those he loved during the war. The first to die was Cedric Diggory in the Tri-Wizard Tournament his fourth year. Second was his Godfather, Sirius Black, in his fifth year. Next was Albus Dumbledore, his long time mentor in his sixth year. In his seventh year, they year of the final battle between Harry and Voldemort, Harry would lose all those that were close to him. He lost the two of you as well as the rest of your family in the opening of the war. Ron had survived with Hermione whom he treasured. They were planning to get married after the end of the war, but never had a chance. In the final battle, the two of them were killed before Harry's eyes. He couldn't do anything to save them.

"And then Harry fought Voldemort with all of his fury. He was ready to sacrifice his own life for the sake of victory, but that had not happened. Instead, the entire world was destroyed. Harry was the sole surviving life form on the planet. Unable to live with himself, Harry attempted to kill himself and destroy the one thing that reminded himself of what he had done, but he was saved. When Harry woke, he found himself in the care of Mikhal, the Guardian of Earth. And so here begins Harry's journey towards redemption." Silva continued to explain Harry's achievements during his time with Mikhal and his failures.

Fred and George sat silently with their jaws wide open through the first pass. When Silva finished, they barraged him with a long volley of questions. Sometimes, questions were repeated, but Silva repeated the answers as anyone listening to this story would have a hard time believing it. As the intervals between the questions drew longer and longer, Silva knew the questions were coming to an end.

"Okay," George said as he crossed his arms after Silva finished explaining how Harry entered his 11-year-old body for the fifth time.

"One more question," Fred said as he finally could accept the fact that Harry was a merger between two parts of his soul.

"During Harry's time with Mikhal," George began.

"Which is approximately fifty five thousand years," Fred continued.

"Did Harry ever have, I don't know, a girlfriend?" George asked.

"Or maybe two?" Fred added.

Silva gave a confused look at the twins before asking, "Are you asking about his love life?"

"That sounds about right," Fred confirmed. Silva paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "What? What's so funny?"

"I guess we live up to our names as jokers," George commented to his brother.

When Silva could control his laughter, he answered, "As you know, Harry's love life as The-Boy-Who-Lived was chasing after Cho Chang and later dating your sister Ginny before the end of his sixth year. If anyone were to ask Harry, then the story would end here, but it doesn't."

With a snap of his fingers, the blank white wall behind him changed into a large portrait with two women standing back to back in the center. They were standing in the same pose and dressed in the same clothes, but the scenery and color of the clothing contrasted with one another.

On the left, facing the portrait, stood a woman dressed in all black. She had leather pants, long leather boots and a short leather vest that exposed the lower half of her upper body which wrapped tightly around her body displaying her slender and elegant figure. She also wore a cloth that had silver lining over her eyes, but judging by the way her head was positioned, it looked as if she were looking up into the sky. Around both wrists were two black bracelets that were in the shape of a snake that wove an intricate pattern around her wrist and ending with its mouth opened around its tail. Above the heads of the snake was a single blue jewel. Along with her black clothing, she had dark skin and long wavy black hair that reached down her back and to her waistline. In contrast to the woman, the scenery was that of a brilliant spring day with the sun shining brightly in the sky. Trees were blossoming and flowers were in full bloom. A lake was off to the side which reflected the image of the sun upon its waves.

The other woman on the right was similarly dressed. But in contrast to the dark skinned and black dressing woman, she was dressed in white with a golden glow. Her skin and hair had a golden hue as well and it seemed her clothing was made to match the hue of her skin and hair. Two similar bracelets were wrapped around her wrists but it was gold with blue jewels. Like the scenery for the woman in black, the scenery contrasted with the woman dressed in white. It was that of the darkest hour of night. All that provided light was the full moon in the sky above. The trees were also in full bloom, but it was a different set of trees. The flowers were also different, but they were all located in the same spot along with the lake which reflected not the image of the sun, but that of the moon.

"Fred. George. Meet Amaris, the love of Harry's life," Silva introduced. "She appeared in Harry's life during the fourth century of Harry's training so he had very little abilities at the time. Amaris was both blind and deaf, so she never knew what Harry looked like and Harry had never heard her voice before. When she appeared, she had no recollection of who she was or her name, so Harry gave her the name 'Amaris' as she appeared on the night of a full moon."

"Which one's Amaris?" the twins spoke in unison. Their eyes were stamped on the image as they were mesmerized by the beauty and perfection of such a portrait.

"Both. Amaris is both the dark skinned woman dressed in black and the golden skinned woman dressed in white. During normal days and most nights, Amaris remains as the woman dressed in black. However, should there be a night in which the full moon shines down upon her, Amaris changes to the woman dressed in white," Silva replied.

"What?" the twins echoed, but they were clearly too mesmerized by the portrait that Silva knew they had not heard a word he spoken, so he repeated himself until they heard. "How long were they together?"

"They traveled together for five thousand or so years and were lovers for three thousand eight hundred forty three years, six months and four days," Silva replied. "Yes, she lived for that long and never aged a day. This was why Harry could start a relationship with her. However, Amaris was injured one day during her travels with Harry and Mikhal. That injury destroyed the spell that made her ageless and was a fatal wound. To save her, Mikhal had to transport Amaris back to her own time. And guess which time period Amaris is from?"

Fred and George took a moment to think of the answer as Silva wore a wide grin across his face. They took a look at all the facts and Silva's actions before the answer hit them. "NO WAY!" Fred cried out in disbelief.

"She's from our time?" George asked Silva.

"Yes. Not only is she from this time period, she's also a student of Hogwarts and someone Harry has or will meet," Silva replied before he snapped his fingers to hide the portrait once more. "You are welcomed to guess who it is, and no doubt Harry will be searching for her, but there's only one person who knows who Amaris really is."

"And who might that be?" George asked.

"Mikhal," Silva answered as he stood up from his seat. "But he's not going to say anything. Why? I don't know, but he has his reasons."

Suddenly, a murmur came from the bed reminding the three of Harry's presence. They had almost laughed before they realized what Harry had said.

"Does he?" Fred and George asked Silva simultaneously.

"Sometimes," Silva answered as he walked over to Harry's desk. "Most of the time Harry has nightmares of all the faces he once knew crying out his name as they are burned alive. Those dreams haunt him the most and wear him down the most." Silva picked up a picture frame that sat on Harry's desk and passed it to Fred and George. "However, there are times when Harry dreams of Amaris. Let's just say those can hardly be called 'sweet dreams'. We should probably leave before Harry wakes. I don't think he would like it if he woke and found us talking about him."

Silva, Fred and George got off their seats and moved to the door. As the three left, they could hear Harry murmur "Amaris" once more before the door closed behind them.

* * *

Harry woke lying in a soft field of grass. The sun was shining brightly above and a gentle breeze felt relaxing as it threw his hair into disarray. He could also hear near silent footsteps of someone trying to creep up to his right side.

"Almost, Amaris," Harry said as he opened his eyes to find a dark skinned woman smiling down at him. She had a wide black cloth tied around her face covering the upper half and her eyes which was there to help Amaris see more clearly. What it was that Amaris could see, Harry did not know, but he knew she no longer had the ability to see what any normal human saw with their eyes.

Amaris sad down next to Harry and shook her head in response to his words.

"Oh, so you're saying you let me hear on purpose?" Harry asked.

Amaris nodded happily with a mischievous grin.

"Liar," Harry responded jokingly with a laugh.

Amaris had lost her voice along with her sight when someone performed a forbidden ritual upon her. Although Harry did not know which ritual it was, he knew through the time he spent with her the side effects that took place and the rough goal of the ritual. Someone had wanted her spirit and used one of many rituals to forcefully remove it from her body. For what purpose did this server, Harry did not know, but he knew the spell had resulted in a failure. The cause of failure was unknown and a failure such a ritual normally kills the subject the moment the spirit leaves the body. However, Amaris had avoided this fate.

One might say Amaris was lucky to have survived, but she had to pay the price of survival through pain. Pain that still haunts her to this day. What saved Amaris were the matching bracelets around her wrists that she cannot remove. When her spirit exited her body, a fragment was captured by the bracelets making Amaris the new host and owner of the bracelets. Sensing that the host was in mortal peril, the bracelets trapped her spirit in a momentary limbo while constructing a new body for her to reside in. During the process of her body's reconstruction, Amaris felt the pain of the corresponding part being constructed ripped away in the most crude of manners. The next time Amaris was conscious again was almost three thousand years ago with a lack of a normal vision, no voice to speak with and very few memories.

Over time, Amaris would remember bits and pieces of her past in her golden form under the moonlight, but important pieces were still missing. However Amaris had come to cherish the new memories and life she had made with Harry the past three millennia. Harry knew Amaris wanted to know her real name, but still cherished the name Amaris as it was the name Harry gave to her when he first saw her golden form under the moonlight of a full moon. Although the new memories had become precious, they could never replace the forgotten memories of the past.

How much Amaris had remembered, Harry did not know, but he knew they were the most important memories of her life. He knew because Harry cherished the memories of his past the most even though it had ended horribly. But it was these memories that shaped and defined a person and to lose them was like losing an identity. For this reason, Harry vowed to forever watch over Amaris from the beginning and hold out his hand to help her stand whenever she fell or encourage her to never give up when she felt lost. And while watching over her for two millennia, Harry fell in love with her. Deeper in love than with Cho and deeper still than with Ginny.

Harry sat up so he could wrap one arm around her shoulder and pull Amaris close. With Cho or Ginny, Harry never had moments like these where they would sit side by side in silence and yet know what was on each other's mind. Harry understood her worries, joys, pains, loves and all the unspoken words she held inside and Amaris understood his. He never had such a connection with either Cho or Ginny, but he had such a connection with Amaris. It was a connection built through the travels, hardships and achievements they had gone through together over the past three millennia.

"Amaris?" Harry whispered softly into her ear.

Amaris turned to face Harry but before he could say a word, she placed her right index over the center of his lips silencing him. Then she gave him a wide smile before nodding.

Harry used his free hand to pull away her right arm so he could say, "But I still want to say it."

Amaris shook her head gently in disapproval before taking his free hand and placing it over her left breast. Harry could feel her heart pounding rapidly and even skipping a few beats. Then Amaris moved his hand over his own heart. Harry immediately found that his own heart was beating in the same manner. Centuries had Harry spent training to control his heartbeat before mastering it and yet he could not fully control it still.

When Harry looked into Amaris' eyes again, he could see the words she could not say without a voice. They were: "There is not need to say the words when the two of us already know them in our hearts."

"You're no fun," Harry pouted with a smile at the end. Amaris smiled in return and gave Harry a deep kiss in the lips before pulling him down on his back to force him to rest. "I know, Amaris. I'll rest, but not before I say this: I love you, Amaris."

Now it was Amaris' turn to pout as she had not wanted him to say those words aloud. For a while, she pounded his chest in anger while he laughed, but the last memory Harry remembered before falling asleep was Amaris smiling down at him.

It was not long before Harry woke again to find a beautiful and gentle female voice whispering, "Wake up, Harry. It's time to wake up. You've slept and dreamt long enough about the past. Now it's time to wake up and start living again." The voice was so very familiar, but Harry could not remember who the voice belonged to.

As Harry opened his eyes, he was staring into the afternoon sun which pierced his eyes. He found himself still lying on the soft lawn and a woman beside him. The woman was covered in white gown with golden lining. However, the angle of the sun cast a shadow over the woman's face.

"No, this is not reality yet, Harry," the woman spoke with the same voice. "You're still dreaming. It's time to start letting go of the past, Harry. There is much you have to do and don't worry, all the promises made to you will be kept and honored before you leave Hogwarts. Now wake up, Harry!"

Harry's eyes shot open as the woman's voice faded and he found himself in the bed of his room inside his secret shelter and not the grassy lawn of his dreams. Harry tried to sit up, but his body was aching too much. He remembered much of the battle before, up to the point where he was lying in a pool of his own blood, but Harry could not remember what had happened next. His best guess was Silva had come to his aid and pulled him out.

Once more, Harry tried to sit up and succeeded with much difficulty. He then walked over to his potions cabinet and pulled out a rejuvenation potion and drank it to remove the aching and pain. Now that his pain was gone, Harry walked down the stairs to the living room when one familiar voice of two people called out, "Welcome back to the world of the living, Harry!"

Harry leaped backwards, startled by their voices, but did not land on his feet. Instead, Harry tripped backwards and crashed down the lower half of the stairway.

"That's just brilliant, Fred. George. After I spend all that time and energy healing Harry, you go and make him add additional injuries," another voice complained, which Harry guessed was Silva, while the twins fell to the ground laughing.

"I'm fine, actually," Harry said quickly. "But what are Fred and George doing here?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry I haven't updated in a long while. School started up again and endless amount of work came rolling in, but I did get a chance to finish the 13th chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Now to reply to some of the reviews:

Harry's inability to work with Hermione is in part because he still thinks Hermione can become the same person she was. He has no idea of how to bring out the old courage, independence and flare Hermione once had, thus doing a fairly poor job. Also, the amount of friend type relations Harry has had in the past tens of thousands of years was next to nothing because of his lifespan. Of course Harry had friends, but he never tried to deepen the friendship because he knew he would have to say goodbye one day. Instead, Harry concentrated on political social relations which are probably the worst way to try and make a friend. As for Ron (as it seems unfair that Harry is only trying to reestablish one friendship and not the other), Harry might try and rebuild their old friendship, but the underlying factor that prevents such an event is Ron's friendship with Neville. Harry would very much like the old Ron to be his friend despite thinking of Ron as a brat (which he is often times, but he never minded that in the past because they were best friends).

The spells Ron, Neville and other student will use may seem odd because they learn it at a higher grade level, but there was never a set power level a person needs to be to use spells. For this fic, everyone, regardless of how old or young, can use any spell should they go and learn it. One good example is Harry learning the Protronus Charm his third year. People were amazed that he learned it earlier than most people and it really doesn't seem like being The-Boy-Who-Lived had anything to do with it. If being The-Boy-Who-Lived alone made Harry truly powerful, then he wouldn't really need to learn much of anything, would he?

I also made Ron cleverer than he originally was. This was mostly because Neville, Dean and Seamus are real immature brats and if Ron was one too, Harry would hardly have a challenge. Things even out a bit this way. Plus Neville's going to be in a situation soon which he will need a clever person to help him.


	14. The Gathering of Leaders

Chapter 14 – The Gathering of Leaders

* * *

Dumbledore sat in his office seat taping one finger on his desk while waiting patiently. Many unexpected events had happened today, all of which were out of his control. It all started with the Potter boy and his attack on Neville. Never had he seen such savage ferocity emitted by a student before. He had heard many rumors that the Potter boy emitted violent behavior while growing up, but the headmaster had not suspected it to be so savage-like. However, while the boy was inferior to Neville in every possible way, he did not back down even when outnumbered and overpowered. Or at least that was how it should have been. Dumbledore had given Neville special training in the past and assigned a private tutor to ensure Neville would become powerful, yet the Potter boy overpowered Neville with brute muggle force. 

Ron, Dean and Seamus all had begun their training and should have easily held the Potter boy down, yet they lasted no more than a few moments. Why? Why was it that the Potter boy won? What makes the Potter boy able to defeat Neville and his three friends? How is it that someone of such inferiority able to defeat The-Boy-Who-Lived? Nothing made any sense. The strong always dominate over the weak. The commoners always fear the ones with wealth, fame, fortune and political power. These were the unwritten rules of society, yet how can a boy of 11 years of age shatter these foundations? Did the Potter boy have no fear of breaking the rules?

No. He was the son of James Potter after all. James Potter, the leader of the Marauders along with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Harry was much like his father when it came to rule breaking. So how do you control a person as wild as James Potter? Use their weakness against them. Blackmail them. Yes. Those were the best ways to control a good hearted person.

"I thought you said there wouldn't be any problems, Dumbledore," a dark creaky voice spoke from behind the headmaster breaking him from his thoughts. "I encountered a man dressed in black. He is not a student nor had you mentioned him before."

"Yes I have. That man is James Evans," Dumbledore replied as he turned to face his visitor. "So, tell me, Zavond, did you kill him?"

"No," came the reply.

Dumbledore remained silent for a moment as he looked into the man's eyes. There was no fear in them nor was there deceit. "How can a Vearon such as you fail to kill a mere human?"

"Because James Evans may not be a mere human. It seems that there may be more than one soul residing in the body of James Evans. How many, I cannot be sure, but there is at least two."

"Intriguing. Tell me more. No, start from the beginning. I want to know about this James Evans," Dumbledore spoke with a growing grin.

* * *

Zavond entered Hogwarts using one of the many secret entryways he had committed to memory, however he had not been here in a very long time. Nor did he ever wish to return to this place. It held memories of a past he wished to bewishedgotten. 

After a few steps into the halls of Hogwarts, he noticed a strange presence in the halls. Zavond had not noticed this presence earlier through the use of all his scrying techniques and spells. Never once in his life as a Vearon has someone been able to avoid detection, yet someone has. As he moved closer, Zavond could see a feint shadow of the person he sensed. Next to the shadow was a girl he had seen with Neville during his battle against the trolls. Three had been killed by a keen blade and fire spells by Dumbledore, or so Zavond assumed as the old headmaster could easily transform himself and kill the trolls.

When Zavond came closer to the shadow, he realized it was the same man whom he thought was Dumbledore. It quickly dawned to Zavond that the man before him could potentially provide great services to Neville, should the man be swayed. This man seemed as powerful as Dumbledore and much younger. However, before Zavond could finish his thoughts, he saw the girl turn and run.

_How? _Zavond asked himself. No one had ever sensed him before, aside from Dumbledore after he made himself known. How was this man able to avoid his detection, mask his identity and know of his presence? Then the answer dawned to him. Zavond could see a feint spirit residing inside the body aside from the dominant spirit who had control over the body. Had the man only have one spirit, Zavond would never have sensed him.

"Who are you?" Zavond asked the man when he turned towards Zavond's general direction.

"Interesting that you would ask who I am without introducing yourself," the man replied with a laugh as a black but thin bladed sword materialized in his hand and drawn for battle. "Then again, I doubt you would, so let's get this over with!"

Suddenly, the man's head jerked to look directly into Zavond's eyes through the wall. Zavond realized that the man had known of his exact location too late as the wall before him blew open. He could feel pain from a wound caused by the tip of the man's blade, but it healed moments later. "Very good instincts, but that won't be enough!" Zavond cried out as he lashed out by summoning a giant flame with the shape of a dragon, however the man countered with a dragon shaped from water engulfing and quelling his flames.

"We'll see about that!" the man challenged with a smirk as he shot forward at blinding speeds and slashed in a horizontal arc. Zavond leaped back, but the man already prepared his next attack. The man's fist shot through Zavond's defenses and slammed into the center of his chest. If that was all, Zavond would have recovered quickly, but a sudden immense pain filled his body as an explosion erupted tearing a hole in his chest. He was sent flying from one end of the hall to the other before the brick walls stopped his flight.

As he laid on his back, Zavond found it difficult to breath without two working lungs. His heart was destroyed, but the loss of flesh hardly affected Vearons. Vearons only needed a body of flesh to allow their astral bodies to enter the world of the living. Without flesh, they would be no more than a wandering spirit unable to make their presence known and unable to physically affect the lives of the living. The wound quickly healed itself and Zavond was back on his feet.

This man was certainly different from all the enemies Zavond had fought before. Demons, Vampires, Werewolves, Celestial Knights and even Vearons had Zavond fought and only a few of the hundreds have ever given him so much difficulty in his human form. If the battle continued on, Zavond knew he would lose as the man he was facing has had far more experience in battle. There only left one method of evening out the battle: transforming into his Vearon form.

"You're good. Extremely good for someone as young as you are. However, you will no longer have the advantage," Zavond spoke as he leaned forward. The man looked as if he was about to charge when he suddenly stopped and took a few steps back while falling into a guard stance. It surprised Zavond that the man changed so suddenly, almost as- No. The man already knew. His opponent already knew Zavond was a Vearon and now changing into his Vearon form. "Not going to attack?"

"No," the man replied simply while staying perfectly still.

"Who are you?" Zavond repeated his first question.

"Someone who might not live after this battle unless I receive divine intervention," the man answered loud enough for Zavond to hear.

"You can run if you like."

"You're not going to let me live."

"I can if-" Zavond began, but the man cut him short.

"My answer is still no."

"I haven't even spoken my proposal."

"There's no need to. I am fighting my own war, and my enemy's enemy is not my friend. And a person who would give up his humanity for the sake of power is hardly someone I can or would trust."

"Very well, then, stranger. Meet your end as the divine beings will not intervene to save your life!" Zavond spoke as he began to change. His arms were the first to transform into large muscular arms before his chest enlarged to grow enough muscle to support his two arms. Zavond looked much like an ape or gorilla at the moment, but that would change soon enough. His skin quickly changed into deep green scales which covered his entire body. A large muscular tail grew and he swung it against the wall to remember what it was like to have a tail. His legs did not grow much as he was no longer a bipedal human, but a lizard like creature with ape-like features in terms of body proportions and movement. Finally, Zavond's head began to change into the shape of a dragon. "You don't seem very surprised."

"When I have time to be surprised, I'll let you know if I was or not," the man spoke with a grin.

"I see your sense of humor has not dulled one bit," Zavond grunted. "You don't seem very serious at all."

"Life is too short to be serious all the time. You never know when you'll die, so why not enjoy every moment the best you can?" the man replied.

"Then why not join us?"

"And become a Vearon? Sorry, I must pass. I like being human."

"You don't have to become a Vearon. There are many ways to become immortal, should you wish to. Our organization has done much research in this area and you could say, it's become our expertise."

"Oh really? Then I can skip explaining to you why I don't want to become immortal because I already know ever method possible. I also know of every method possible to destroy an immortal."

"Care to divulge your secrets? Our organization would be very interested in learning some of your techniques. Our enemy is one who has sought to become immortal, however we do not know how well our enemy succeeded in doing that. Your knowledge would be a great asset and you don't even have to join us or become immortal. We just wish to gain some of your knowledge."

"Sorry, no deal. I'm fighting Voldemort as well and fighting by my own means. I've trusted people like you once before and ended up losing everything. So I'd much rather die fighting you than chancing that happening again."

"A pity, I must say. You would have lived so much longer," Zavond spoke just before he readied himself to charge. Suddenly, the ground beneath him broke open and a column of flames erupted turning one of his arms to ash. Zavond cried in pain as he had not expected the man to have done anything during the time they were having a short chat. The pain was gone the next second as his arm regenerated, but the man had disappeared.

Just as quickly as the man disappeared, he reappeared before Zavond and stabbed his black bladed sword forward. Zavond launched his right arm forward easily shattering the blade, but suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his upper right arm as another black bladed sword severed his arm cleanly off his body. Zavond turned to see a copy of the man stabbing his sword forward once more. To avoid the blade, he spun his body to the right bringing his left hand over to punch the copy of the man through the wall. With his tail, Zavond knocked the man away so he could recover.

Things had not gone as smoothly as Zavond hoped as the copy set his left arm on fire while the man stabbed the broken blade into his tail. The wounds were painful, but Zavond was sure the man would be hurting more until the two images of the man faded into thin air. Then a flash notified Zavond of something to his right. But it was too late as arrows of fire pierced through his scales and burning the insides of his body.

Left with no choice, Zavond used the one ability that set him apart from most other Vearons other than a handful of others who had the same ability. Immediately, the arrows of fire were doused and Zavond was fully regenerated. However, his scales changed from green to silver. More arrows of flames shot at him, but his silver scales immediately absorbed the magical energy and the arrows were gone. Now it was time for Zavond to counterattack.

His first move was launching through the walls where he knew the man was. With all the magic in the area being absorbed, the man's magical disguise was taken away as well. Now the man was no more than a mere human muggle. However, the man would not be taken down so easily. The man lunged forward and rolled between Zavond's legs and slashing off his tail. Pain was of little consequence because with all the magic Zavond absorbed, his wounds healed instantaneously. With his regrown tail, Zavond slammed it down on top of the man crushing him through the ground and to the lower floor.

A smile lit across Zavond's draconic face as he looked through the hole in the ground where his enemy struggled to stand again. He knew the sign of defeat the moment it was displayed, and looking at the man, Zavond knew the man's defeat was imminent. Zavond jumped down to greet his near defeated enemy once more to end the man's life quickly so the man would not pose a threat in the future. He whipped his tail forward from behind his back directly at the man's head, but again the man had something hidden up his sleeve. There was no time to act against the man's as he dodged left, grabbed Zavond's tail before casting a spell.

To what effect the spell had, Zavond did not know, but he retaliated by whipping his tail up knocking the man back and cutting off the man's right arm roughly from his shoulders. The end of his lips arced up, but it soon faded as twenty or more spears of light stabbed into his body. Although magical, Zavond could not absorb it which meant that the spell that created these spears might have been specialized for battling Vaerons. With his own magic, Zavond tried to destroy the spears, but it was then that he realized he had fallen into a trap. Immediately, all his magic as a Vaeron was sucked away. A sudden dizziness caused him to fall to the ground, human once more.

_What happened? _Zavond asked himself as he looked at his hands. They were human, but he could still fell magic. Without much effort, Zavond summoned a ball of fire into the palm of his hand. _I can still use magic. _He then tried to summon his Vaeron form once more, but nothing happened. Zavond had battled many witches and wizards specialized in killing Vaerons, but never had he met a hunter that used a spell like this to neutralize his powers.

Standing up, Zavond looked over to the man who lay face down in a pool of his own blood. "Damn you!" he cried as charged forward while summoning a magical fire that wrapped around his two arms.

A sudden burst of light blinded Zavond before an invisible barrier slammed against him and bound him in midair. "We cannot allow you to harm this man," a female voice spoke. When his vision returned, Zavond saw a woman dressed in pure white with fair skin. She had long wavy golden blond hair and a golden hue illuminating the edges around her. "Love," she spoke as she knelt down next to the man, "you must learn not to push yourself in your state. You are much weaker now than you were then."

"Who and what are you?" Zavond cried out in fury for an answer.

"I am this man's guardian spirit, as he was once mine," the woman answered as she closed her eyes and began an incantation.

"You won't take the pleasure of killing him away from me!" Zavond shouted as he charged forward with magic swirling around both arms. He never had a chance to attack as a metallic red blade slashed through the air severing his right arm before a heavy boot lodged into his stomach. The force was so great that it lifted him up into the air and sent him flying backwards. However, that was not the end as he heard a second incantation and a wave of a staff. Zavond raised his left arm to shield from an impending attack, but his magic was no where near strong enough as roots spouted from the ground below and stabbed into his body before slamming him into the wall.

The wall crumpled down upon him, but Zavond's strength had yet to fade. "Who are you, you accursed woman!" He shouted as the concrete blocks were tossed aside easily. Zavond's wounds healed instantaneously as he gathered his magic and launched a barrage of flaming arrows at the woman, but she just smiled as the arrows passed harmlessly through her ethereal body. "Blasted woman. Had she not come, I would have killed this pest. Oh well, she left him here so I mind as well finish what I started. I can chase after her later."

But before Zavond could finish his job, three boys leaped down and one of them spoke, "I'm sorry, but I cannot let you kill this man."

"More allies of the pathetic excuse for a wizard? No matter, none of you will escape alive!" Zavond shouted as he forged his magic into balls of fire. However, he had not counted on the boy to have command of greater magic. Two blades of air shot forward slashing his chest and face digging deeply into his flesh throwing his concentration off. "You will pay for that!" the Zavond coughed in pain as his summoned fireballs burned away. When he turned back, Zavond saw the four boys vanish through a magical doorway.

* * *

"I would not have thought that one man could prove to be so difficult," Dumbledore spoke as he scratched his chin. 

"Neither did I, but this James Evans, or so you say, is quite powerful in respect to the number of souls inhabiting his body," Zavond responded. "However, he knew how to neutralize me Vaeron form. I have faced many Hunters, but not a single Hunter could do what this James Evans did. Even now I am still unable to use my Vaeron form."

"Neutralize?! I thought that was impossible?" Dumbledore exclaimed, surprised that there existed a spell that could neutralize the powers of the most powerful mortal magical being in existence.

"So did I as I was told it was impossible…" Zavond's voice trailed off as he remembered a slight detail he had not thought of since he had become a Vaeron. "No. It is quite possible, but in the past when Hunters were far greater and more powerful. Many legends exists telling of how some Hunters could fight days without rest slaughtering thousands of Vaerons, Hisateas, Maphers, Demons and other such creatures. Most who take on these tasks are killed. All except one…"

"One you say? Who might this be?"

"We only speak of him in legends."

"Have you forgotten that Vaerons were once legends to you and me?" Dumbledore countered.

Zavond's eyes grew dark before he responded, "Varhiskul Romana, the greatest Hunter of time. A legend among legends. His true name, no one knows. We only hear of the name bestowed to him by the Vampire King Kesthula."

"Kesthula? That was the last King of Triteron, Kingdom of Vampires. He lived tens of thousands of years ago! What could have possibly made this Varhiskul so famous?"

"You see, Dumbledore, Varhiskul received his name from Kesthula for hunting down every Vaeron, Hisateas, Maphers, Demons, Werewolf, renegade Vampire, Minotaur, Hydra and any other magical creature that had a bounty on their heads from the moment Kesthula took throne to the height of his imperial power. Do you know how long of a time that was?"

"I must confess, I do not know."

"Twenty two thousand, eight hundred and seventy seven years. Long as it may be, but vampires are immortal under most circumstances, but Varhiskul Romana was no Vampire. He was human."

"Human? There must be a mistake."

"None. Varhiskul continued to make a name for himself even after Kesthula's sudden disappearance and fall of the Triteron."

"Then there exist another way to achieve immortality," Dumbledore said as he locked his fingers together.

"Yes, but no one has been able to discover the secret or confirm that it was the same man. Some speculate that the mantle is passed on from generation to generation. This, too, is just a mere speculation. Proof has never been found to justify or denounce these claims."

Dumbledore remained silent for a moment. These legends of this immortal human intrigued him, but legends were often exaggerated truths passed on through time. However, if this legend proves true, then Dumbledore's greatest and most powerful ally may be rendered useless. "What does Voldemort know about this Varhiskul?"

"Nothing so far. This Hunter is a legend among the ancient Vampires and Werewolves. Few still remember the stories as there existed many Hunters who have killed Vampires and Werewolves and lived to die of old age. We Vaerons and perhaps Maphers remember this Hunter because of his ability to render our supernatural abilities useless," Zavond replied. However, he suddenly jerked his head towards the front door into the headmaster's office.

"I'm afraid we must continue this conversation another time. I was expecting visitors, but not so soon," Dumbledore spoke as Zavond gave a bow before retreating into the shadows. "Come in," the headmaster greeted as the door swung open before anyone could knock. "Good evening, Minister, Mrs. Longbottom, and Potters." The last word came out almost as a spat, but James and Lily seemed not to notice.

"Would you care to explain how Neville and his friends were attacked by four trolls, Headmaster?" Frank spoke with a low and incriminating voice.

"Were the students safe? Any injuries? Is Harry safe?" Lily seemed to sputter ignoring the fact that Dumbledore was about to answer the question the Minister posed first.

"You should teach your savage son some manners, Lily," Alice spat. "Then again, I don't suppose a family of your status would know the first about manners."

"If this is about Silva, we already apologize-" Lily began, but Alice would not allow her to finish.

"No, this is not about Silva. This is about your savage beating my poor helpless Neville in class. I don't suppose you have heard about that. And Headmaster, I move that you expel that savage immediately!"

"What?" Lily exclaimed.

"Ladies!" Dumbledore shouted, tired of listening to the two women bicker about. "Keep your feud outside the walls of Hogwarts. If you do not, I will personally expel both Neville and Harry." Lily immediately fell silent, but Alice was not about to be intimitaded by the headmaster. She was, after all, the wife of the Minister, the wizard commanding the most political power. However, Frank pulled her back forcing her to keep silent. "That's better. Harry did indeed beat Neville, but he has been dealt with. I have locked him in his room and not allowed him to move until I have access the situation. He, however, will not be expelled. I have my reasons for keeping him here.

"As for the incident with the trolls, Dean and Seamus foolishly stepped to close and was injured by one troll," Alice looked away with a lazy eye showing how much she did not care, "however, Neville, with the help of Ron, defeated the troll." Upon hearing those words, Alice beamed proudly. "That was after three trolls were killed single handedly by a mysterious man dressed in all black. We are currently in search of any leads to why the Trolls were able to enter as well as who this man is, but no leads have been discovered."

"This man, does he have a name?" Frank asked.

"Rumors say he is named 'James Evans'." Dumbledore replied as he turned his eyes to study the reaction of James and Lily, but all he found were confused looks on their faces.

"How were the trolls killed?" James asked quickly.

"By magic," Dumbledore replied, hoping to glean something to reveal the identity of this James Evans.

"As far as I know, only I am able to use magic in my family," Lily began. "And I don't know of any relative aside from my husband who has the name James."

"Stop lying, Lily. Everyone here knows that you know the truth," Alice shot at Lily.

"Alice!" Frank said in a grave tone. "We have no proof that Lily is lying and no reason to incriminate her unjustly. As much as we may hate the Potters for the past, we cannot rightly justify our accusations because of our personal feelings." Turning to James and Lily, Frank said, "Now if you will kindly leave before we continue our feud. I suspect you wish for your son to stay in Hogwarts as much as we do."

James just nodded and left the office with Lily following silently behind him.

"Why do you defend them?" Alice spat with an icy tone.

"I didn't. Did you hear me apologize for your actions? No. They are scum and my opinion has not changed. However, should Dumbledore wish to keep Harry here at Hogwarts, we must keep our hatred of the Potters at a minimum while here for you still remember the headmaster's promise," Frank retorted which silenced Alice. Turning back to the headmaster, Frank spoke, "I suppose there is much you are not saying, Dumbledore, for I know you would not keep Harry here any longer in fear that he may become a threat to Neville."

"Yes, there is much I have not said. In regards to Harry, I believe he may become a powerful ally should we break him away from his family. His wand is not like any I have seen before and during the past few weeks I have seen him unless a maelstrom of untamed magical energy, one that could rival Neville's." Dumbledore paused as he thought the Longbottoms would speak at this moment, but they had not. "I have mistakenly thought that Harry would forever remain a squib, as his magical core was taken from him, but that proved to not be the case. Somehow, Harry's magical core has been revived."

"But Harry has proved himself hard to tame, has he not, Dumbledore?" Frank asked, but it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. Far too difficult. However, your son is partially to blame. Today's incident in the classroom was caused by your son's violent behavior towards students within his own house, most notably a girl named Hermione Granger," the headmaster explained.

"Oh, the orphan daughter of a Muggle whore," Alice spat in disgust. "That thing should not be allowed here in Hogwarts either. It may corrupt the integrity of our society."

"I agree, but you must also have a reason for this, do you not, Dumbledore?" Frank said as he glared at his wife to remain silent.

"Yes. Despite being born of the Grangers, most specifically Rosa, Hermione has been prophesized to be a great asset to Neville in the upcoming war. Her intelligence and wisdom is said to become peerless. It is for that reason I have plucked her from the Muggles and placed her in an orphanage of wizard and witch offspring. Many things are done with good reason, Alice, for I know a great deal of which students would become useful to Neville in the future. Our only wildcard is Harry Potter," Dumbledore responded.

"What about this James Evans? Is he not a wildcard as well?" Frank followed quickly.

"No, for we know that even with all his powers, he is weak. What I had left out with the conversation with the Potters is that this James Evans uses wandless magic and controls it with deadly precision. Three trolls were killed near instantaneously and effortlessly, however, his power does not match that of a Vaeron. As much as I would like to continue this conversation, I cannot for I must monitor the Potters. Zavond will finish where I left off," Dumbledore finished, and in a moment he vanished.

A figure stepped out the shadows revealing a round man wearing a cloak. His face was unshaven and head was balding, but life still burned in his eyes. "It's nice to see you again, Frank and Alice."

"It is. How fares your son, Odin, at Drumstrang?" Alice said with a kind smile.

"Well. He is excelling at a frightening pace, according to the professors at Drumstrang," Zavond responded with a smile as well.

"I would have thought you would have wanted to meet the Potters," Frank said changing the topic suddenly, "Were they not your best friends when you were younger?"

"That was a long time ago, Frank. However, I wish not to talk about the Potters, so I will retell my story of my meeting with James Evans," Zavond spoke with a dark tone.

"Yes, forgive me, Zavond. The past is hard to forget. Please, do tell us about this James Evans," Frank spoke cautiously as he knew not to further anger Zavond. Most would not live past touching a nerve, but Frank's friendship, if it could be called such, permitted him to step past the normal boundaries.

After a moment's pause to accept Frank's apology, Zavond quickly spoke of his encounter with James Evans. When he finished, Zavond could see that both Frank and Alice were intrigued to know more, so Zavond spoke, "I must say he's a shrewd fellow and not different from James Potter, but far greater in intelligence like Lily Evans."

"Then you believe that the Potters were lying earlier?" Frank asked.

"Believe? There's no need to _believe_ that was so, they _were _lying," Alice shot maliciously.

"I'm afraid you're suspicious are wrong, Alice," Zavond spoke which received a hateful glare from both Longbottoms. "The Potters certainly did not know this James Evans, but this James Evans is certainly related to the Potters."

"What?" Alice cried out in confusion. Frank, too, was confused, but remained silent for Zavond to explain.

"James Evans is not the true name of whoever the man I fought. This name was created to mask his identity but still give him an identity that ties him with the Potters," Zavond explained.

"Then it must be their despicable son, Harry," Alice said quickly.

"That's jumping too far ahead, my dear," Frank said against his wife. "That would also be impossible as Zavond would have detected that the man he fought was indeed Harry. One of a Vaeron's ability is to see the soul or souls that inhabit a body, correct?"

"Yes. I would have known if that was Harry immediately. Also, James Evans was in complete control of wandless magic and his power can easily overwhelm Neville who has the greatest magical potential in this moment in time. In addition to his power, he has knowledge of spells that no longer exists in our time," Zavond spoke strengthening Frank's argument.

"So we are either dealing with a time traveler or a dimension hopper," Frank said as he sat back in his seat.

"I don't like how someone could be more powerful than my Neville. I say we kill him as quickly as time permits," Alice suggested.

"Dumbledore would not approve of this, as he has hopes that James Evans will become a great asset to our movement," Zavond replied, but there was a hint in his voice that he did not agree with Dumbledore on this matter.

"And he has hopes for Harry as well," Frank added. "However, the old man is becoming arrogant and believes that he can force people to act the way he wishes. We will allow James Evans and Harry Potter to live, but they will die should they stand in our way."

"Yes, that does sound likes a reasonable proposal which Dumbledore would agree to," Zavond approved. Zavond and Frank both turned towards Alice awaiting her answer.

"Very well," Alice replied. "Then inform your 'colleagues' about this plan, Zavond. Frank will bring forth and investigation to use the Ministry's resources to track down this James Evans and I will prepare the members of the Order to keep an eye on the Potters."

"This sounds like a good plan," Frank said as the three adults stood up from their seats, "but before we call it a day, there is one last thing I wish to discuss with you."

"Oh? What may that be?" Zavond asked, intrigued by Frank's sudden introduction of a new topic.

"Neville." Both Alice and Zavond were taken back by Frank's short and straight forward reply, but he continued, "As you both heard, Neville assaulted Hermione and Pavarti today in class causing Harry to retaliate, however, this should not have happened. If Neville is to become The-Boy-Who-Lived and the leader of this war, he must learn to treat his allies as equals. I have allowed both of you to teach Neville the way you wish, but now I see I have been too lenient.

"Neville must win the hearts and respect of his followers and to do so, Neville must respect others. He may treat those who follow him however he wishes, but he must not push away potential allies at first sight. If he continues to do so, I fear Neville will fail as a leader and that is not something I want to see. Do I make myself clear?" His short lecture received two hard and spiteful glares, but it was to be expected. Frank knew he had taught Neville to become the way he is now, but it was time for change and this was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

"How do you wish to go about this?" Zavond dared to ask.

"As cruel as it may seem, we must punish him," Frank answered as he felt his chest sink.

"Then it must be done," Alice reluctantly agreed.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry that it's been a long time since I've updated. December came and things become busy, then hectic. Thing's haven't cooled down yet, but I do hope I won't find myself without time to write. I do enjoy writing this story a lot and I hope you enjoy reading it as well. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Hopefully I'll have a new chapter up soon. 

Oh, I just remembered someone reviewed stating that I was an apologist for Slytherin. Yes, I am sadden by how everyone believes that the Slytherin House is filled with egotistic and arrogant evil craving bastards, but I have yet to find someone who has written how truly evil a Slytherin can be. Also, I fail to see how a Slytherin is seen as evil simply by what the house values: ambition, cunning and resourcefulness. In the next chapter, I am going to introduce a character that will make use of all three traits in his path to becoming evil's incarnate, but there will also be a character that does the opposite (well, Harry will as he has great ambition, cunning and resourcefulness, so a character excluding Harry). Oh, and this evil character is not going to fight for Voldemort, but rather against him and along side Neville.

Edit: Harryfan, you stated that I only have to look at all of Voldemort's followers and himself, but I don't see them as evil as a Slytherin can be with the three valued traits. All Voldemort does is go around killing people, where's the cunningness in that? There's no point in killing people at random and making it such that everyone knows who did it. And where's the demonic cruelty? Why not make a brother slaughter a sister in the most horrid of ways and then display her mutilated body for the world? Why not have a mother sacrifice her children in a deadly ritual thinking it's for the good of the world? Voldemort has done no such thing. Yet. It's painful to lose a loved one, yes, but would it not be far crueler to make it so in such a way that one just manipulates the people around him or her telling followers to kill unjustly leaving survivors questioning why someone so close would betray them? Evil portrayed in the books thus far have yet to touch the meaning of evil for me.

As for why I'm bashing Gryffindor? It's because they are following Neville as The-Boy-Who-Lived blindly. If it weren't set up as such, Gryffindors would play hero and each set out to right the wrongs in the world. They only believe they are at this moment because Neville is The-Boy-Who-Lived and proclaimed hero by the world. Followers should find a valid reason to group behind a leader. Fred and George are behind Harry because they wish to cause Neville trouble. Silva follows Harry because he simply likes Harry and wants to witness the world Harry will create. Ron follows Neville because he does not wish to become like his father, a man stepped upon by everyone he works with. Right now, people follow Neville because he's The-Boy-Who-Lived much like how Dumbledore's Army was formed because they followed Harry as The-Boy-Who-Lived. Harry proved himself as a good teacher, but what if was Hermione or Ron teaching? Would it have the same effect? Perhaps, but it will never be greater than having a proclaimed hero.


	15. The Bonds of Old and New

**IMPORTANT NOTE: For those of you who have been reading this story for a while, you probably will need to reread earlier chapters. I have added new content that will hopefully clarify some of the confusing parts which some of you have commented on. Also, I hope that with these revisions the story would have a better foundation as I know it was rickety at first.**

* * *

Chapter 15 – The Bonds of Old and New

* * *

Harry sat back in his seat as Silva, Fred and George finished retelling their story of the last couple hours. He felt thankful of the three as they had saved his life and relieved as well. Fred and George were the two people Harry wanted to bring into his circle first, but did not know how. However, the opportunity presented itself hours ago and now they were the first of Harry's new circle of allies. Ones that he hoped would travel with him until the end of the war and would remain friends even afterwards. 

"Now that we're all caught up with each others situations, as well as accepted the fact that Voldemort will return," Harry paused to wait for the twins to stop shuddering before continuing, "I need to know who can be trusted at this moment and be recruited immediately."

The twins looked at one another before turning back to Harry with a blank stare. "I'm sorry, mate," George spoke first.

"We can't think of anyone inside of Hogwarts who would not follow Neville," Fred continued.

"He is The-Boy-Who-Lived," George added.

"That's a foolish excuse," Harry said angrily, but he knew that all too well.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Harry, your parents are heading to your room right now," Silva said.

"My parents?" Harry said a bit confused before remembering that they were alive. Then he slapped his hand against his forehead. "Shit. How could I have forgotten? Silva, I need you to continue discussing this matter with the twins and find out where we can begin. I must return to my room."

"Or you could stay here and take control of your clone. That would be easier and less noticeable from the keen eyes of the old coot. You are also still recovering from getting your arm severed by the Vaeron, so I would suggest you wait here," Silva replied quickly not allowing Harry a chance to get up from his seat.

"No," Harry refused. "I must see my parents. I must be there. Use teleportation to exchange the two of us if you must, but, Silva, I want to be in the presence of my parents. Who knows how long of a time I will have with them."

"Very well, Harry, but be careful of what to say. The old coot's watching and I won't be there to aid you," Silva said before teleporting Harry away.

"Why do we have to be careful of Dumbledore? Isn't he on our side?" George asked.

"No. The old coot's manipulating the events in Hogwarts such that when the time comes for Neville to play hero, everyone that would be of use to him will be by his side," Silva explained.

"Aside from Neville being a total git, is there any reason for having an army behind The-Boy-Who-Lived a bad thing?" Fred asked.

"Have you forgotten that the world Harry was from was destroyed in the final engagement between The-Boy-Who-Lived and Voldemort?" Silva replied with a question.

"That doesn't make any sense though. What makes you think that what happened then will happen now?" George answered.

"It will. The killing curse is the only way Voldemort can kill Neville as well as the only way Neville can kill Voldemort. At least that is what they believe for what better spell to use to kill than the killing curse? However, what people have forgotten is that two wands whose cores come from the same source are bound by magic to not be used against one another. Using the killing curse over and over against an opponent with a wand sharing ties with yours will begin to corrupt the magic that is around us. Magic becomes highly unstable and should the wielders of two sibling wands uses a powerful spell at the same time in which the stability of magic is about to collapse, devastating effects occur. Effects like the green flame that killed everything on the Earth Harry once lived," Silva explained which left the twins silent. "Let's not waste any more time searching for a path that does not exist and concentrate on finding allies."

Fred and George silently nodded their heads in agreement, but there were still many questions they wished to ask Silva. However, that would have to wait. For now, they needed to come up with a list of potential allies.

* * *

Harry appeared in his room in the exact position as his clone was: sitting in his desk pretending to study for his next set of classes. However, Harry hardly felt like pretending at the moment. _How could I have forgotten about my parents? _He asked himself. _Have I simply been without parents for so long that I no longer yearn for them? Or even need them? Or is it because I do not know what it is like to be a child?_

It was not like Harry did not know what it was like living with parents, as his former self had lived with them for eleven years, but his current self has lived tens of thousands of centuries without parents, only guiding figures. No. Harry had been alone for tens of thousands of years. Sure Mikhal was there, but he sent Harry to various worlds and to meet a long list of people to aid in his growth as well as teach Harry to control his powers.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" a familiar voice screamed from down the hall which sent shivers throughout Harry's body. It was an odd feeling, as Harry had never been afraid of anything let alone someone screaming out his name in anger, but he welcomed this feeling. It was something new and it made him feel human, something Harry could only dream of all those tens of thousands of years. The door suddenly burst open (not exactly as it was blast open sending splinters everywhere) and his mother stood there in the doorway with her wand drawn. "By Merlin's fury I should strike you down where you stand if you try to run!"

Harry did not notice when, but he was now up on his feet and backed up against the wall. However, what he felt was not fear. It was more like nervousness, but there was a sinking feeling that made it similar to fear. Harry was unsure of what to do either. There had been many situation in which Harry had the same nervous feeling, but there was always an excuse or lie he could fabricate within moments to allow him to escape, but at this moment, his mind was blank.

All Harry could do was watch as Lily entered the room with an angry scowl and stride towards him. When she lifted her arm, Harry shut his eyes and prepared for a slap, but was surprised when he was suddenly pulled off the wall and into an embrace. "Don't scare me like that again!" Lily cried out as she held on tightly to Harry.

"Lily, dear, Harry probably doesn't know about the trolls," James said as he entered the room after repairing the door.

"What? Wasn't he with the others at supper?" Lily asked, but still holding onto Harry cuddling him like a child. Harry, on the other hand, seemed to be averting his eyes away from his parents.

"No. He was sent here to after beating up Neville, remember?" James replied as he took a look at the books that lay open on Harry's desk. It struck him as odd that Harry was three chapters ahead of the normal curriculum.

"YOU BEAT UP NEVILLE!?!?" Lily exploded sending Harry back against the wall again. "I thought you promised not to fight again!"

"I'm sorry, mom, but—" Harry began, however Lily did not seem too forgiving.

"No buts! You broke your promise!" Lily continued with a fury Harry had never faced before. "And-"

"And your scaring this poor girl to death, Lily," James intervened as he pulled a young girl Harry's age with bushy hair from the hall into the room. "And her friends," James quickly added as four shadows tried to tiptoe away. "I'm sure Harry has a reason for doing what he did, Lily," he continued as he walked over to his wife before whispering into her ear, "If Harry had become the same angry boy he was, he wouldn't have said sorry. Have a little faith in our son."

"Mrs. Potter," the bushy haired girl began. "Please don't be mad at Harry."

"Harry was only sided with Hermione when Neville picked on her and hit me," an Indian girl with long and smooth black hair spoke.

"Is that true, Harry?" Lily asked as she turned to her son.

"Yes, mom. And then I got mad at Neville and beat him up…" Harry finished the story while rubbing his right shoulder. From what Silva, Fred and George said, a woman dressed in all white reattached his arm and healed it, but it was still a bit sore. _Who could have that woman been? _Harry wondered, but no answers came to mind. _Well, I can think of that later. Right now I need to convince mom that I didn't do anything wrong… Aside from breaking my promise._

"Neville also used a spell that cut Harry's left arm," a girl with short blond hair added. "It looked like it really hurt…"

"Harry! Let me see your arm!" Lily commanded immediately.

"Its fine, mom. Silva healed it already," Harry replied, but still held out his left arm. There was no visible wound or scar. However, he felt a sinking feeling in his chest, something he had never felt before. _Is this what I would feel if I was injured? _Harry asked himself. _Would I feel guilty about injuries if my parents were alive then?_

"Harry James Potter! You have to be more careful next time!" Lily said angrily as she stared down at Harry with eyes burning with anger. "You could have used your wand to counter the spell!"

"No… I'm not good at controlling magic when I'm angry…" Harry replied. It was an excuse, and a legitimate one, but still an excuse. _Odd, I never felt this nervous when I gave excuses before… _Harry noted to himself. _It was easy then to give an excuse without a doubt. _"But if I had moved, the spell would have hit Lavender and hurt her."

"Really?" all the girls and Lily responded simultaneously.

Unexpectedly, a roaring laughter broke the tension in the room. "As expected! No child of mine would allow a bystander to be injured in a fight!" James roared as he clapped his hand on Harry's back. "But your mother is right, Harry. A simple counter would have saved you from injury. You need to be more careful next time. And to overcome your problem with your emotions, there is only one way: Practice. Now come and take a walk with me, Harry, it's time for a bit of father and son time. Lily, I'm sure these four young ladies would be delighted to be in your company for a while. Especially the brown haired girl whose eyes are glittering like stars in the night."

Harry gave his father a simple nod before walking out of the room leaving his mother with Hermione, Lavender, Pavarti and Vicky.

"Don't worry about your mother, Harry. Lily is quick to anger, but also quick to forget her anger," James said as they turned the corner. He then stopped and knelt down before Harry. "Now, to the real reason why I wanted to talk to you alone." James placed both hands on Harry's shoulder and closed his eyes.

For a few minutes, the two remained motionless and silent. During that time, Harry wondered what his father was doing when he felt his father's magic flow through him. Sensing what James was attempting, Harry quickly used his magic to hide his wound, but it was already too late. Nervousness took over again as Harry wondered what his father was up to, but could not glean a hint.

"Impressive," James said finally and breaking the long silence. "You are indeed my son! Now come with me. I have something to give you that I don't want your mother to know about."

Again, Harry just nodded, giving a silent reply. He was not sure what his father was up to, but Harry knew that whatever it was, James wanted it to be an absolute secret. It made Harry wonder if James knew that Dumbledore was watching them from the shadows. Harry could easily slip away from Dumbledore's eyes, but that would reveal more about him to his father, and this was something Harry did not want James to know. Not yet.

As they walked through Hogwarts, Harry realized where they were headed: The Room of Requirement. He had gone there enough times during his first stay at Hogwarts to know every route there. _Why? _Was all Harry could ask himself. _Why is dad taking me to the Room of Requirement? _

His question continued to run through his mind as Harry entered the room with James. However, where they ended up was in a room Harry had never seen before. This was not the room where things were hidden or where he practiced spells. It was a simple room with a few couches and tables.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement, Harry," James said as he took a seat in one of the couches. "Well, I suppose you wouldn't be surprise as you have been here before."

Harry's head spun sharply to face his father. _How does he know?_

"Now, you are probably wondering why we are here and how do I know so much about you, correct?" James asked as he took off his glasses. "We're here to talk about James Evans."

"James Evans?" Harry asked, taken back by the sudden introduction of his split persona.

"Yes. You're other self. I know very well what happened earlier. You faced the trolls in the bathroom to defend Hermione. Three were killed while the fourth was knocked unconscious by Neville and Ron. Afterwards, you faced a creature whose name is Zavond and was heavily injured. How you survived is still a mystery to me though," James said as he looked at his son.

"Silva pulled me out," Harry replied nervously.

"No, Silva came late. Something happened between the time you were injured and his arrival," James countered as he placed his glasses on the table.

Harry looked into his father's eyes and felt them pierce through him, however, Harry was not about to let his father win. He, too, took off his glasses and sat down before his father. He took a deep breath and relaxed before replying. "You're right, dad. Something did happen. However, I'm afraid I can't tell you."

James sat silently for a moment, then took his glasses from the table, put them on and lounged back on the couch. "You're afraid that by revealing who you truly are, you would no longer be thought of as our child. Isn't that right, Harry?"

"How?" Harry asked as his eyes narrowed.

"You have a long way to go before you master the art of secret keeping, my son. My father once told me that to be a good father, I must be able to see all the secrets my children have and help them as much as possible. Unfortunately, he was never able to see through me, but I can see through you. Now, tell me what it is that has you so nervous," James said casually.

Although hesitant, Harry knew he had not choice in the matter. "Alright," Harry said, giving into his father. From his pocket, he took out his gate trigger and opened a dimension door. "Follow me, dad. I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

James watched in shock as Harry walked through a thin sheet of light and disappeared. "What's going on?" James asked aloud, but no one was there to answer. "I guess I'm going to have to trust him." Without a second though, James walked through and appeared in a room where two red-headed twins sat with another boy. Harry stood next to a stairway, but he was no longer an eleven-year-old boy, but a young man in his late teens or early twenties.

"Welcome to my secret shelter, dad. The twins are Fred and George Weasley, the two people who learned of my secret first. Next to them is Silva," Harry introduced quickly. "This is how I look according to my age before Earth was destroyed. I was eighteen and fighting against Voldemort as The-Boy-Who-Lived." With his right hand, Harry pulled up his bangs to reveal the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. "This is who I am, dad. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, and the one who destroyed Earth. As for the boy you raised for eleven years, he was the part of me containing all the anger and sorrow I felt. We were merged once more in August when I started displaying magic."

"Wait a minute!" Fred cried out.

"You never told us about that part!" George shouted in surprise.

"I never told you because I felt that if I acknowledged this fact, I would no longer be Harry James Potter, the son of James and Lily Potter of this time," Harry replied with a grim tone.

James had remained silent the entire time, shocked by the revelation of his son's true identity. However, James could not help but laugh. "You truly are my son. I can say this without a shred of doubt in my mind. Regardless of whose soul inhabits that body, as long as you call yourself Harry James Potter, you will forever be my son!" James announced proudly as he walked up to Harry. "You have placed a great burden upon yourself, son, a burden that is not yours to carry."

Harry looked at his father and wondered how someone could say something so casually. "How can you say that with such conviction?"

"Because I'm your father, Harry. As The-Boy-Who-Lived, you were forced to carry a destiny that was not yours, however, I believe you forged your own path. I suppose that both your mother and I were not there when you were growing up," James replied.

"Yeah… You and mom were killed by Voldemort on Halloween when I was a year old," Harry answered.

"Not exactly. We knew Voldemort would come for you, so I developed a spell that would protect you," James explained. "You grew up protected from Voldemort, right?"

"Yeah, although that ended when he used my blood to revive himself," Harry responded.

"That was the spell I created. In this time, I never used it. However, I did not think that it would make you The-Boy-Who-Lived. I suppose it's more than coincidence that you have the same lightning shaped scar on your forehead. So, if my theory is correct, your left arm should carry a magically embedded snake signifying the mark of Voldemort," James spoke as pulled up Harry's left sleeve and spoke the word 'Morsmordre'.

"Morsmordre?" Harry echoed in a question. Then he looked down at his arm in which nothing appeared. "Doesn't that call forth the Dark Mark?"

"Yes, it does and it should have, as well as show up on your arm, but it doesn't. This is certainly odd," James replied as he scratched his head, confused why things did not turn out the way he had thought.

"I don't have the Dark Mark on my arm, dad," Harry said as he gently pulled away his arm. "The only mark I received was this scar on my forehead, but that was on my original body."

"Original body? Oh, yes, the one you lived in before you were reborn," James noted to himself and answering his own question. "However, that does not explain why the Dark Mark did not appear on your arm. It is a branding attached to the soul and that is the mark that distinguishes the equal of Voldemort."

"Stop!" Harry cried out, overly confused. "There was no such thing in my time! What made me The-Boy-Who-Lived was this mark on my forehead! This was the mark making me Voldemort's equal!"

"No, that's not possible. Voldemort must willingly mark someone as his equal and his signature has always been the Dark Mark. Neville has this mark and it was most helpful in capturing Death Eaters. This is why Frank Longbottom is at the top of the Ministry," James countered. "But if that's the case in your time, then you had a destiny forcefully shoved upon your shoulders. That's not possible as Fate and Destiny cannot be changed by a mere human. We do not possess the will to-"

"No, dad, you're wrong," Harry said quickly, cutting his father off. "Fate and Destiny can be changed by a mere human. I can change it. This is why I am called an Umbar Rasvar by those who know the ancient language. I suppose that is why Voldemort was nearly killed when his killing curse rebounded off me and onto him."

"The Killing Curse bounced off?!" James, Fred and George cried out in shock.

"You never mentioned that part!" Fred shouted in ourage.

"That's much different than what happened when Neville became The-Boy-Who-Lived!" George followed.

"Neville absorbed the Killing Curse which turned into a scar that is now on his forehead! Then he touched Voldemort's wand with his left hand which allowed Voldemort to see how powerful Neville would one day become. Voldemort tried to cast the Killing Curse once more, but because Neville was holding onto the wand as well, the spell shot straight through his body. As he was dying, Voldemort cast one final spell marking Neville as his equal," James explained.

"So the rebounded Killing Curse turned into a slow acting death spell…" Harry noted to himself. Things were much different than he had expected. However, there were still similarities. The Prophecy, the marking as equals, hurting of the scar, born as the seventh month ends, parents thrice defied, and called The-Boy-Who-Lived. _Things aren't making sense either. _Harry added to his personal notes. _Why would there be a need for a second mark? It just doesn't add up. _"Dad, I'm going to retell my life as The-Boy-Who-Lived in full detail. This will only take a second, but I need you to sort out all the differences."

"How will—" James began, but never finished as he was sucked into another world.

"Welcome to my life, dad," Harry said as his memories began to play in quick succession around them. "Welcome to the life of the previous Boy-Who-Lived."

James could do nothing but stare in awe as he watched his son's life play in fast-forward motion, but yet he caught every bit of detail in his son's life. _How powerful exactly is Harry? _James asked himself. _Is this how powerful Neville would become?_

* * *

Neville kicked open the door out of the Gryffindor Dormitory, angry at the fact that Harry's mother was sitting inside his room. _HIS_ room. What angered him even more was the fact that Hermione and the other four girls were there enjoying a conversation with that woman. This was not helping his mood as his own parents had punished him for attacking Hermione and Lavender earlier this day. His mom slapped his cheek, something that had never happened before. His father yelled at him giving him a lecture of how he was not to hurt others, but to use his power to "help" others; gain their trust. 

_I don't understand! _Neville screamed in his mind as he kicked the wall and left a hole there. _Why are they like that? Why would mom and dad be angry? They never acted this way before!_

Ron, Seamus and Dean followed quietly behind Neville, all three clearly seeing how frustrated Neville was. Seamus and Dean had just arrived at the Gryffindor Dormitory when Neville came storming down the stairs, so neither had an idea of what Neville was angry about. Ron, on the other hand, was there when both Neville's parents executed their "punishment".

_Guide him, _a voice spoke inside of Ron. He knew this voice well, for it had been with him since he could remember. The voice always spoke when Ron needed to know what to do or how to evaluate situations. _Calm him down and show him what it was that his parents wanted to say. _Yes, Ron would guide Neville. He knew Neville's parents did not want to punish Neville, but it had to be done. "Neville, mate," Ron began as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"What, Ron?" Neville shouted as he knocked away Ron's arm.

"Do you trust me?" Ron asked. "Do you trust my judgement?"

Neville's eyes narrowed as he did not understand Ron's intent. "Yes?" Neville replied in an unsure tone.

"This is going to be hard, but just listen. What your parents just did was not something they wanted to do, but something they had to do," Ron began.

"What does that mean?" Neville cried out, confused and even angrier.

"They're trying to show you how it feels when someone of greater might looks down on you and picks on you," Ron explained. "It feels pretty bad, doesn't it?"

Neville glared at Ron, angry that his friend would say something like that, but at the same time accepting his friend's words as the truth. "And?"

"And your parents don't want you to do that anymore. Not when your name rides on your decisions," Ron finished. "You have to play a good guy, Neville. The Dark Lord is the bad guy, you are the good guy. People here will follow the good guy."

"You should listen to your friend more, Longbottom," a new voice spoke, entering what was supposed to be a private conversation. "I knew a day like this would happen sooner or later. Day after day, you act with such immaturity; it's a wonder how your parents put up with it."

Neville, Ron, Seamus and Dean all turn to face towards the new voice and found a large group of students standing beneath the shadows of the hall. "Who are you? Show yourself!" Neville demanded as Seamus and Dean took stance before Neville.

"Such Gryffindorish behavior!" the same voice laughed as the person walked out from the shadows. It revealed an older boy wearing Slytherin colors with long silver hair and eyes. "Cyril Malfoy, at your service," the boy said with a bow.

"What do you want, Malfoy? Come to beg for a new position for your father?" Neville spat spitefully.

"No, Neville, I came to offer my services," Cyril replied as he looked at Neville with no expression of hurt in his eyes.

"I d-" Neville began, but Ron quickly moved before his friend and stopped him.

Again the voice was telling him what to do, and Ron knew that the voice was rarely wrong. "It is not often that a Slytherin would willingly offer his services to a Gryffindor."

"No, not just Slytherin," another voice spoke as a girl stepped out of the shadows joining Cyril. "I, Abigail Hughes of Ravenclaw, offer my services."

"And I, Isabel Winters of Hufflepuff, offer my services as well," a second girl pledged as she followed Cyril and Abigail out of the shadows.

"What's the meaning of this?" Neville cried out. "Are you mocking me? Do you think I—"

"Shut up, Neville!" Ron shouted which quickly silenced his friend. "I apologize for Neville's behavior. He's had a rough day and is a bit edgy." Ron said politely to Cyril, Abigail and Isabel. Then he turn to Neville and whispered, "Neville, calm down."

"Why?" Neville cried out.

"Yeah, why?" Dean followed. "You're not making any sense, Ron."

"When did you become the leader, Ron?" Seamus added. "Or have you betrayed Neville to join these other people?"

"First, you need to calm down, Neville. Second, you need to trust me," Ron said, offering no explanation.

"You should heed Ron's advice more often, Neville," Cyril said. "I had heard rumors of his uncanny ability to see through people's intentions, but seeing them first hand, I must say I am fairly impressed."

"I'm the leader, not Ron!" Neville shouted. "I'm The-Boy-Who-Lived! I'm the greatest! Why should I have to listen to others when everyone should be listening to me?"

"Because if you do not listen to others, others will never listen to you," a creaky voice spoke from another direction, entering the conversation.

"Zavond!" Neville cried out in shock. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at Durmstrang!"

"On business. Or was. Right now, I'm here to tell you to listen to Ron. There's a reason why Dumbledore partner you up with Ron, Dean and Seamus. Right now, you will see the reason for Ron. So stop being a bloody brat, shut your stupid fat mouth and listen to what Ron has to say!" Zavond commanded with such a force that sent shivers down everyone's spine. "Ron, if you would continue."

"Yes," Ron mumbled an unnecessary response. "You three said you offer your services. I do not doubt your willingness, but what is your motivation in doing so?"

"Connections," Isabel began. "By associating myself with Neville, The-Boy-Who-Lived, I can gain connection I otherwise would not have. In this world, having connections can get you to a lot of different places."

"So can information," Abigail countered. "Information is power and what better way to seek information than as an informant of The-Boy-Who-Lived?"

"Nicely answered," Cyril praised. "However, it all boils down to fame, fortune and power. That is what I desire. With it, I can be one of the people standing on top of the world!"

Ron quickly evaluated the response of his three upperclassmen and then looked towards Zavond for approval to continue. "What assurances do I have you would not betray us, Cyril. Your father _is _a Death Eater."

"My father, Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater, I do not deny that," Cyril spoke with absolute confidence while the crowd was shifting nervously. "My father and his colleagues wish to stand on top of the world, feared by all. That is not what I want. I do not wish to be infamous. I want to be revered! I want to stand on top of the world worshipped like a hero! My father and the Death Eaters will give me no such reward."

"And what of your brother?" Ron asked.

"Draco? He's a fool. He'll follow our father blindly. Crush him if you want. Order me to crush him to test my loyalty if you wish, I do not care," Cyril replied.

"Very well," Ron said. "Neville, I know you might not like this at first, but these three will be most valuable to us, especially if were to deal with both Harry Potter and this James Evans. Hufflepuffs have friends everywhere and can pull in connections to find information. Ravenclaws are intelligent and Merlin knows how much we need it. And Slytherins, let's just say they're weapons at our disposal."

"Weapons? Could you strike at Harry Potter?" Neville asked Cyril.

"If that is your wish," was Cyril's reply.

"That is my wish. I want to hurt Potter. Destroy him if possible," Neville responded with anger in his voice. "I want that brat to pay for the humiliation he caused me!"

"That can easily be done," Cyril said. "But first, our one request before we finalize this alliance of ours is for you, Neville, to learn how to become a leader."

"Become a leader? I was born a leader!" Neville cried in outrage.

"No, you're not leader, Neville," Zavond said as he smacked Neville on the back of the head. "You're a spoiled brat who is slowly building a bad reputation."

"I am not!" Neville fought back.

"Yes you are. Ron has tried to tell you many times, but you paid him no heed," Zavond shot back.

"NO!" Neville cried out, shaking his head feverously. _It can't be true! I have a good reputation! I'm the hero who saved the world! _However, as he looked at everyone, Neville realized he was just fooling himself. "What must I do?"

"Play hero," Cyril replied.

"And we can make it happen," Isabel said.

"It may be hard at first, but you will need to look the other way when someone does something offensive towards you, Neville," Ron said.

"Why should I? Why can't I fight back? They got what they deserved!" Neville cried.

"We will strike back, Neville," Cyril spoke. "We are your 'weapons'. We will punish those who offend you, and you will be there to save them, raising your reputation. You represent 'Justice' and to do so, you must be 'Good'. We will do all the dirty work, Longbottom. All you need to do is point out the target and we will attack. It will never be credited to your name, but you will always be the savior."

Neville remained silent as his eyes focused on Cyril, Isabel, Abigail, Ron and finally Zavond. He looked towards the man seeking advice as he knew not what to do or make of the situation.

"Accept their services, Neville, and learn from them. With their knowledge and power, you can conquer all of Hogwarts, and later, the wizarding world," Zavond spoke in his usual creaky voice.

"Okay," Neville agreed. "I accept your services."

"And we will be forever loyal," Cyril, Abigail and Isabel stated in unison.

"Yes," Zavond spoke as he produced three rings from his right hand. "You will wear these rings, Cyril, Abigail and Isabel. This will signify your allegiance. If you should betray Neville, the ring will know and end your life. With this ring, you can bestow a mark upon your followers binding them to the same contract as you. From this day forth, this alliance of Cyril Malfoy of Slytherin, Abigail Hughes of Ravenclaw, Isabel Winters of Hufflepuff and Neville Longbottom of Gryffindor, shall be known as CAIN."

Cyril, Abigail and Isabel received the rings and slid it onto their right ring finger and immediately felt magic weave through their bodies. Acknowledging that this was the binding of the contract, the three bowed to Neville as their new master. "We are the three Generals of CAIN and will serve our master, Neville Longbottom, until our dying day. Should we betray our master, let this ring be the judge that takes our lives."

"Good," Zavond said with a wide smile. _Everything was going as planned. _"Now, let us begin the ritual to bind our fellow soldiers!"

"Neville," Ron whispered to his friend, "You have just stepped onto the road to stand at the top." Upon hearing those words, Neville could not help but laugh. This was what he wanted. No. This was what he was destined for.

* * *

As Harry, James, Fred and George returned from watching Harry's memories, James, Fred and George could not help but collapse to the ground, overwhelmed by what they had just witnessed. 

"By Merlin's Beard, what have I done to you?!" James cried out, shocked by the pain and horrors Harry lived through as The-Boy-Who-Lived. "Will you-"

"No, dad," Harry cut his father off quickly. "I know what you want to say, so no, I won't forgive you. Why? Because there's not need to. What is done is done, and without living through that life I would have never had a chance to live through this life."

"By Merlin's Staff you are strong willed!" Fred cried out.

"There's no way in the Seven Realms of Hell that you could have stayed sane all this time, after living through all that!" George followed.

"I did," Harry said quietly. "However, I did not accomplish it alone. I had help from a lot of different people and places. Now, for the reason why I showed you my memories, what differences are there in this time in comparison to mine?"

James had to take a few moments to calm down. He took slow, deep breaths to ease his rapidly beating heart and regain composure. After doing so, James began with the sorting out the differences. "To start, Peter was not 'killed' by Sirius. He vanished one day during the war. We never heard from him again. Dumbledore was not so kind and friendly. He's very calculating and manipulative. Not very trusting either and highly supportive of the fact that Neville was and is The-Boy-Who-Lived. That was also because you were born with no magical power while—" James stopped abruptly, not wanting to continue.

"What is it, dad?" Harry asked, noting the sudden pause.

"No—" James tried, but Harry cut him off noticing that his father was trying to cover something.

"Don't say it's nothing, dad. I may not be a fantastic liar or lie detector, but it is obvious you are holding something back," Harry said to his father.

"Harry, I think you should wait a while before hearing this," Silva spoke. "There is a good reason why your father is holding it back."

"No, I need to know," Harry responded. "I had a feeling that something wasn't right all this time. My birth, or rather, the birth of Harry James Potter was made secret from the entire world. And looking back at my memories, I sense that you were always looking for another son."

"You knew?" James cried out in shock.

"No," Harry replied. "Not the previous me. The previous me would have never notice. However, I would. I'm sorry Silva, I'm going to have to ignore your advice this time around."

Silva gave a short laugh and responded, "I already knew you would ignore it. You're not very good when people hold secrets about you."

"Very well," James said. "You were born with a twin. He was to be our second child, but he was a stillborn. This is why you are named Harry James Potter. Our plan had been to name the first son Harry and second James, but his life slipped away from us. However, soon after it was determined he was a stillborn, his body disappeared. No one knows what happened. Also, I can say for a fact that I know neither you nor your twin would have become The-Boy-Who-Lived. Although there are differences in your world and this world, the fact does not change that you were born a single child with no twin. The fate of The-Boy-Who-Lived rests in the hands of Neville Longbottom and only Neville Longbottom."

_Yes, that's because I made it that way… _Harry said to himself silently. _I made sure this fate would fall solely in his hands… _"Thank you, dad," Harry thanked his father quietly as he made his way down the stairs. With his own magic, Harry changed himself back to his younger self before walking through the door.

"I'm sorry, Harry," James whispered as he watched his son walk through a dimension doorway.

"There's no need to be, James," Silva whispered in a voice only James could hear. "There is more to the birth of Harry and his twin than you know. For now, what you know will suffice. When the time comes, Mikhal, the Guardian of Earth, will appear before you, your wife, Lily, and Harry to explain the truth in full detail."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Another chapter up. Sorry, it seems my updates are getting longer and longer. For that, I apologize. About Dumbledore and Neville being the main antagonist, that's how it's going to be for the time being. Overall, Voldemort's the true "bad guy". Dumbledore, the Order of the Pheonix and Neville are kind of the "good guys" in opposing Voldemort, however their true goal is to use this as a way to catapult them onto the top of the world. Harry's not really fighting Neville. It's Neville that's picking a fight with Harry and Harry's just kicking his ass back for messing with him. 


	16. The Hunter

Chapter 16 – The Hunter

* * *

Harry walked out of the Room of Requirement with heavy footsteps, shocked by what he had heard. _Twin? _Harry asked himself. This was something he never knew about himself. Well, his current self. _Things are so different now. When I thought I had returned to a familiar place, new things just come up and show me how foreign it really is…_

Now Harry wondered about his purpose. Why was he here? Neville is The-Boy-Who-Lived. Finishing Voldemort would be no easy task, but Neville will succeed. Hermione's not the same as the annoying but lovable know-it-all. Ron's a brat, but he's no longer friendly and playful. Instead, he's becoming calculative like Dumbledore. As for the old headmaster, Harry felt that he would lead Neville on the path to become great. Greater than Harry was when he was The-Boy-Who-Lived and great enough to defeat Voldemort.

"So what am I doing here?" Harry asked himself out loud. "What's the point of me being alive?"

Harry spent a few minutes trying to figure out the answer as he tread heavily through the empty halls of Hogwarts when he heard footsteps coming from ahead. Although Harry had noticed, his reaction was delayed as he was deep in his thoughts. By the time Harry had come around, he could see twelve shadows growing around the corner.

"Move!" Harry heard a deep voice order followed by a grunt. "You are foolish to oppose us, Draco. Why do you insist upon following Father anyways? You know it's just a dead end. He'll just take your life as he took our mother's."

_Our mother's? _Harry repeated in his mind. _Right, Draco has a brother. What was his name? Started with a C… I need to help him. Draco looks like he's losing this fight._

"And Blaise," the voice continued.

_Blaise? What's she doing here? _Harry asked in surprise.

"My sources say you were hoping to convince my brother to join a man named James Evans. Is that correct?" the voice asked.

_It's now or never, _Harry said as he stepped past the corner. "Hello, everyone. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. What's this about James Evans?"

Ten wands immediately pointed at Harry as he nonchalantly lifted both arms into the air. "Who ar—Wait, you're Harry Potter!" a young boy with silver hair and eyes spoke with the voice Harry had heard earlier.

"Oh? You recognized me! Have we met before? You look like Draco, but I see him beaten bloody and barely able to stand to your left, so you couldn't be him," Harry replied.

"Hmph. I didn't expect to see you here, but that saves me the trouble of finding you later. Get him!" the boy commanded as nine seventh years fired stunners at Harry.

_Quick, but not good enough, _Harry noted as he spun himself and simultaneously throwing his robes into the path of the spells. Next, Harry leaped into the air while using his right hand to make several symbols in a particular order. Just as he finished, Harry felt his magic flow to his hands and feet and quickly planted his left hand on the ceiling. Immediately, his hand stuck to the surface like glue and when Harry looked down, he saw his robe get shredded into pieces while three red jets shot through the openings. Not wasting another moment of time, Harry flipped himself up, planted both feet on the ceiling and made a dash to the back side of the group.

"Where is he?" the leader cried out scanning down the hall while the red jets illuminated it. "Check around the corner!"

Just as the group moved forward, Harry leaped down from the ceiling landing behind the one standing at the group's rear and guarding Draco and Blaise. Harry fired a quick jab to the kidney knocking the rear guard off balance. Then, making use of this opportunity, Harry grabbed the wand and fired off two stunners knocking the next two seventh years out before turning the wand to its owner and firing off another stunner. It had all happened so quickly that no one would have thought Harry had fired the stunners himself instead of the owner as he was still holding onto the wand.

Next, Harry made a quick dash up to the next four who were just turning around to greet the threat to their rear. None of them stood a chance as Harry launched a flurry of blows breaking the legs of the center two while shattering the wrists of the outer two. Again Harry dashed forward, this time heading towards the leader, but Harry noticed that the two guards were speaking an incantation to a different spell. Immediately, Harry planted his right foot firmly down into the ground, halting himself with the magic that held his hand and feet to the ceiling and spun around back towards Draco and Blaise.

"What's going on?" the leader cried out. "Why did he turn back?"

"It seems he figured out we were casting a spell," the first guard spoke.

"And a spell that creates an invisible web that captures whoever steps into it. Unfortunately, it does not dispel until either someone steps into it or twenty-four hours later," Harry laughed as he lifted Draco up onto his shoulders and helped Blaise get up on her feet. "Next time, when you want to trap someone, make sure the spell can't be used to trap you!"

"Damn you!" the leader cursed. "Damn you to the Seventh Gate of Hell, Harry Potter!"

"Tata!" Harry replied mockingly as he waved his free hand.

"I never thought you were the type to run from a fight," Draco said in a feint voice to Harry.

"I am. Survival is top priority," Harry responded as he ran through the halls towards one of the hidden rooms in the area.

"Survival? You were doing pretty good against Cyril and his gang back there. A little more then you would have knocked them out cold," Draco stated as Harry rested him down against the wall of a hidden room.

"Odd," Blaise said as she knelt down next to Draco. "I've never seen Cyril take action before."

"Cyril? Oh, right. That's your brother's name," Harry said as pulled out a small pouch from beneath his shirt. "Take this," Harry said as he handed Draco a veil of blue liquid. "It's a healing potion."

Without hesitation, Draco took the potion from Harry, removed the cap and swallowed it in one gulp. Immediately, the open wounds closed and his breathing returned to normal. Strength quickly returned to his body and Draco quickly got up on his two feet. "Thanks, now thi-"

"You trust me?" Harry asked, surprised of Draco's non-hesitant action.

"Have you given me any reason not to?" Draco asked, confused by Harry's sudden question. He sensed there was something more behind Harry's question.

"You took the potion without a moment's hesitation. What if it was poisonous?" Harry elaborated.

"Harry, you went through the trouble of saving the two of us," Blaise stated. "What's the point of saving us just to kill us later? Plus, I highly doubt it's in you to do such a thing."

"Blaise, I know you trust me. That's because we're friends. Draco and I, on the other hand, aren't. We're still very much strangers and he has very good reasons to be offended by my existence," Harry replied.

"Your mother being a Muggle-born witch, you being a 'squib' until recently and a Gryffindor," Draco gave out the obvious reasons. "Blood purity is something the Malfoys and Slytherins strive for, yes, but as you can see, I am neither welcomed as a Malfoy or a Slytherin."

"Anymore," Harry added quickly. "Not anymore. But that doesn't change the fact that you are born a Malfoy and sorted into Slytherin."

"You know what, let's cut the crap, Potter," Draco cried out, annoyed of trying to make sense of what Harry was trying to say. "All this time, I have never seen you give me a reason to mistrust you, yet you seem adamant that I should. Why is that?"

_You were once my enemy, _Harry said to himself silently. _You were once my enemy and I led you to your death at the hands of your own people! _"You are a Slytherin, and I a Gryffindor. You are a Malfoy, a family that stands on the top of the Wizarding world, revered by the majority. I am a Potter, a family standing at the bottom of the Wizarding world, shunned by the majority. The two of us are not compatible."

Blaise was about to speak, but Draco quickly held up his hand to silence her. "You are an honest person, Potter, but there is more that you are not saying. Do not mistake me for being perceptive, Potter, because I am not. If not for what Blaise can see, I would not have trusted you at all as I have never trusted you since the day we met on the train. However, I trust her eyes, and therefore I will trust you so long as you have her trust.

"I may be a Malfoy and a Slytherin, but I am not revered. Lucius and Cyril Malfoy are. Lucius, the brilliant commander and Cyril, the prodigy. I am nothing but a poor replacement for my brother. It may be true that we are of opposing classes, but you and I are not incompatible. You, who oppose Neville and Cyril, are my only hope of survival in Hogwarts. And I, who holds the only group of people opposing Neville, am your only source for allies. In this, we are compatible. As you said, 'Survival is top priority'. I, too, think the same."

Harry could do nothing but remain silent to Draco's response. It was a near perfect counter of all his arguments save the truth. _Draco's much different in this world. _Harry noted. _He's much smarter for one. Well spoken and will one day make a fine politician._

"Blaise, let's return to the Slytherin Dorm," Draco called to Blaise as he walked towards the exit. "And Harry, tell James Evans I look forward to a partnership between the two of us. However, remember this, I will not ally myself to him. The two of us will be partners and will trade resources and information, but should there come a time when our goals conflict, do not count on me being your friend."

"Very well, Draco," Harry stated as he watched his new partner walk out of the door. _Well played, Draco, but it seems you are on the way to becoming a Death Eater after all._ When Harry stepped out of the door, he immediately sensed danger lurking towards the Gryffindor Dorm. Wasting no time, Harry lifted the fifth tile from the opposite wall of the door opening a way to the floor below. He jumped down into a narrow passage and ran as fast as he could which led Harry back to the entrance of the Gryffindor Dorm.

Harry burst through the exit and launched a powerful punch into the side of the person standing before the entrance knocking the person across the room. Immediately, Harry spun to face three familiar faces and fell into a defensive stance. At the moment, Harry was unarmed. He only had healing potions with him. The three before him, led by Cyril, held out their wands with a wicked smile across their faces. It was then Harry noticed an insignia that was glowing from the wand hand of each of his opponent Harry had not seen before. He could not make out what it was, but it had the word CAIN in all caps.

"You made it on time, Potter," Cyril sneered as he held his wand firmly at Harry. "However, it will not save you from watching your filthy Mudblood mother and that bushy haired know-it-all get tortured."

"You'd have to defeat me first," Harry shot back as he launched forward and struck with his fist. As his right fist closed in upon the right guard, Harry noticed that his hand made contact with an invisible wall and quickly retracted his hand before retreating a few steps.

"What's wrong, Potter? Where did the confidence go?" Cyril taunted, but Harry remained unaffected.

"So, you would do anything in order to obtain power," Harry noted as he switched from fists to open palms. Without waiting for a response, Harry dashed forward again, this time leading off with a kick. As expected, an invisible force knocked away his blow. Instinctively, Harry dodged right, spun around while blocking an invisible attack and stopped next to the right guard. A wand came slashing towards Harry, but he blocked with his left hand. With his right, Harry attacked the guard's right shoulder where the insignia was. Harry's fingers dug into the seventh year's flesh until he felt a small metal fragment and then forcefully tugged it out causing the guard to howl in pain.

On Harry's left, the other seventh year shot out her left hand while Cyril began a spell. Sensing danger, Harry pulled the injured guard into the line of fire while wresting his wand away. Harry leaped back and in that moment the guard fell limp as he was suddenly tugged away toward the second guard. Now that Harry was open to attack, he slashed his right hand through the air drawing a symbol while thrusting his left hand forward pointing the wand at the remain seventh year's shoulder. A high pitch scream rang through the air followed closely by blood spraying out from her shoulder. However, Harry never finished drawing the symbol when a sudden shock ripped through his left arm. Harry screamed in pain as he fell to the ground clutching his arm.

_Of all the times to have a rebound… _Harry cursed in his mind as he tried to force the pain away. Unfortunately, Harry never had a chance as a black ball surrounded by purple lightning slammed into his chest. Immediately, Harry knew what spell was used as he could feel his soul begin to separate from his body. _I guess I was pushing my luck…_

Just as Harry was about to give up, he saw a familiar face walk up from behind Cyril. It was not until Harry's eyes shot wide open that Cyril realized someone was standing behind him. When Cyril spun around, he found himself face to face with a tall man with pale white skin and sharp facial features looking down at him. A large mantle was wrapped around him covering his body and potentially hiding weapons. However, the man made no sudden moves with his arms. Instead, he just opened his mouth slightly to show a pair of razor sharp fangs.

"Vampire…" Cyril barely whispered. "Vampire!" Cyril shouted as he slashed his wand diagonally before his new opponent. Immediately, four semi-spheres appeared around him and twelve more seventh years bearing the same insignias on their right shoulder entered with their wands drawn.

But before a spell was fired, the area around them changed. Harry could not help but smile as he stood next to now what is the lake by Hogwarts. This new enemy of Cyril was someone Harry had known and knew well, for they were the best friends two people could be considering one was human while the other was a vampire. Harry also knew how powerful his friend was and this mass teleportation was just a small demonstration of his full potential.

"Kill him!" Cyril ordered his new allies. "Kill the vampire!" Immediately, green jets shot through the air at the vampire, but none of them found its mark as he simply vanished. Although the Killing Curse was illegal to use, there were special circumstances in which the use was permitted, and that was against any dark creature.

Harry crumpled to the ground as the black ball sank deeper into his body. The pain was immense, but Harry fought through it as he reached with his right hand and gripped it tightly. Slowly, he began to pull it out, but his strength was fading quickly. _I'm not giving up! _Harry told himself. _Not this time. Not again!_

"Let me help," a strong resonating voice spoke as a hand reached out and easily pulled the black sphere from Harry's body. The purple streams of lightning quickly wrapped around the arm, attacking it, but had no effect. The man muttered an incantation and the sphere disappeared in an instant. Again, green jets shot in his direction, but with a wave of his hand, they were slapped away by an invisible force. "Retreat while you still can. I am more than a match for you," the vampire warned, but the spells continued to come.

"That's impossible. Vampires are nocturnal, so your strength is only at half during the day. Also you fear the sunlight!" Cyril shouted with confidence.

"Foolish boy," the vampire spat as he threw off his mantle revealing that he had nothing but a sleeveless shirt, shorts and a sword strapped to his waist. He then shot a hand to the sky parting the clouds allowing sunlight to pour directly down upon him. Cyril and the seventh years started to laugh at how foolish the vampire was until they noticed that the sunlight was not burning his skin or flesh. "I am a Vesnysi, a pureblood descendant of one of the three original vampire families. We fear not sunlight, silver, holy water or any sort of 'Vampire slaying' weaponry because we are not undead. As for my family's vampire origins, it can be simply explained as we are evolved human beings."

Cyril and the twelve seventh years had no time to react as the vampire disappeared from their sight again. The next moment they were all lifted off the ground after a blunt object smashed into their bodies several times shattering several bones and rendered every one unconscious. None of them knew how one-side the battle was; not even as they were falling unconscious.

"Thanks," Harry muttered as he sat himself up against a tree. Although the sphere was gone, the effects of it still affected him. His strength was fading and his mind was closing, but Harry fought to remain conscious.

"I remember a time when you could face the same crowd and beat them all without moving a finger," the vampire said as he picked up his mantle and walked towards Harry. "You had an older body then, but stronger. Actually, a great deal stronger. There was no limit to the power you had at your disposal then, but now the simplest of spells cast with a wand that is not yours causes magic to rebound and injure you. You also would have known their movements before they even had a chance to implement their plan. Never had I imagined I would ever say these words to you, the one whom I personally named 'Varhiskul Romana', but by choosing to isolate yourself, you have truly become weak."

Harry could not help but grunt at the comment. Yes, he had become weak. Weaker than he ever though possible. "I know, Kesthula. I know. I've become hesitant as I am not lost. I no longer understand why I am here nor do I know my purpose. Everything is falling apart…"

"That is because you have forgotten what it was you seek. You are trying to do too much in too little time, Varhiskul," Kesthula, the former king of vampires, answered Harry. "The injury you have taken from the Soul Shatter Orb is not serious, but this weak body will need a good deal of time to heal. During that time, I suggest you slow down and learn what it is to live again. You will find the answers you seek inside of you, my dear friend. I know, because I went down the same road once before. It was hell, but you are much stronger than I. Rest well, Harry James Potter. You will find the strength to become the Hunter I named Varhiskul Romana once more and accomplish your goals."

Harry could only remain conscious long enough to hear Kesthula finish speaking. The next moment, Harry fell into darkness. It was pitch black all around him. He felt like falling into a void or black hole. However, Harry was also floating. He seemed to gently glide around aimlessly in this darkness. Without light, Harry could not see, thus he did not have a sense of direction. There was no gravity either. None that Harry could tell. Soon, even the darkness seemed to fade away. _So this is what it feels like to lose consciousness… _That was Harry's last thought before he felt nothing and no longer saw the darkness that surrounded him.

* * *

When Harry woke, he found himself standing next to Amaris who was dressed in her usual black outfit. He could not help but turn to look at Amaris and be amazed by her beauty. Harry could feel her warmth as he stood comfortably by her side and there was nothing in his heart more than his love for her at the moment. "Yes?" Harry said as Amaris turned to face him. 

Amaris smiled playfully as she voiced her silent words to Harry.

"You want to meet Kesthula?" Harry asked, but it was more of a confirmation than anything else. He knew everything Amaris wanted to convey to him and sometimes even something she wanted to hide from him. This was how deep their relationship was, but it was all thanks to thousands of years and the fact that Amaris had no voice and her mind was cut off from telepathy.

Amaris gave a nod as she turned her back against the railing of the balcony and leaned back.

"I guess you could meet him. He's not an important member of the Vampire society," Harry said as he looked towards a castle in the horizon.

Amaris leaped joyfully to Harry and wrapped both arms around him pulling him into a hug while kissing him gently on the cheek.

"So you were looking forward to meeting a vampire of royal descent for that long, huh?" Harry laughed which caused Amaris to blow up her cheeks and pout. "Well, he's a palace guard, but they say he has the potential of becoming the king had he not been so lazy."

This time, Amaris laughed, but like everything that required a voice, it was silent. It had taken her a long time before she could accept her loss of voice, but now Amaris was quite content with her life despite all the handicaps.

"Alright, I think Kesthula's on his break. Let's go visit him!" Harry told Amaris as he took her hand.

Together, they leaped from the balcony and landed on their feet on the street below. Harry and Amaris took their time as they walked through the street which was filled with thousands of vampires wandering the streets going about their day casually. Every so often there would be a vampire who would approach the couple and thank them for taking care of their latest bounty. The two would just kindly accept the thanks and continue on as they have long since become accustomed to such behavior.

When they reached the castle court, Harry stopped and turned to Amaris to say, "Stay here for a moment. They don't like humans in the court, so I'll have to call Kesthula out."

Amaris nodded happily to Harry before he turned and moved quietly to the wall. She could not make out exactly what Harry was doing, but the next moment a vampire guard walked out and greeted Harry before walking back to Amaris together.

"Amaris, meet Kesthula Melphier del'Shyadi, fourth and youngest son of Vindir and Illesa del'Shyadi, the seventh in line for the throne," Harry introduced.

"Pleasure to be of your acquaintance, lovely lady," Kesthula spoke as he gave a bow and kissed the back of Amaris's hand lightly. "I sense James is fairly agitated at the moment."

Again, Amaris laughed silently as Harry's eyes seem to burn like a flame.

"She says it's a pleasure to meet you, Kesthula," Harry scowled as he wore an unhappy face. "No, I won't say that other thing!"

"What? That after such a long relationship you're still as jealous of other men hitting on your girlfriend as when you first started dating?" Kesthula teased which hit the mark.

"You know, I ought to you butcher you right now, Kes. I don't think anyone here would miss you," Harry threatened. "And no, not just any man. A normal man I wouldn't be this angry. A womanizer, like you, who specializes in courting younger women, like you, I would definitely want to beat down the moment you lay a single finger on Amaris!"

"Thank you very much," Kesthula laughed as he pulled Amaris a bit closer. "You're much too good for this jealous man. How about you ditch him right now and come with me?"

Amaris laughed again before shaking here head and moving over to Harry. She swiftly wrapped her harms around Harry as she pulled him in for a deep kiss on the lips. Immediately, Harry relaxed and the fire of jealousy burning inside of him died replaced by the intoxicating love of Amaris. When she pulled away, Amaris turned and smiled at Kesthula who could do nothing other than let out a deep sigh of defeat.

"So James Evans is the only man worthy of your love?" Kesthula asked.

When Amaris nodded, Harry announced proudly, "Damn straight!"

"Must be nice to have someone who loves you for who you are rather than who you can be," Kesthula sighed as he leaned against the column across from Amaris and Harry.

"Don't worry, Kes. You'll find the right person one day. It's not like you will die of old age or sickness, so you have all the time in the world," Harry said to his friend.

"True, but like they say, I am the best candidate to become king should King Aldamar step down or die. How will I find a girl who isn't interested in being queen?" Kesthula asked.

"Can't help you there," Harry replied, understanding all to well what it's like. "You have any idea, Love?" Harry asked Amaris who shook her head.

"Well, at least—" Kesthula started, but Harry quickly cut his friend off.

"The king's life is in danger!" Harry called out as he drew his sword. It was a long black sword with a thin curved blade with runes carved in on both sides. There was no guard protecting his hand, but Harry never had use for a guard.

Kesthula drew his sword as well while quickly following behind Harry to make their way into the castle. It was a long sword as well, but instead of a thin curved blade, there was a straight thick dual-edge blade. He carried it easily with one hand while drawing a shield in the other.

Amaris ran alongside Harry while summoning a short sword in one hand and a wand in the other. Unlike Harry, who focused on close range combat, Amaris focused on ranged attacks and defense. Her short sword was crafted for defensive purposes and reinforced by defensive magic. Wands helped her focus her magic, but Amaris was well trained by both Mikhal and Harry with wandless magic.

"Was there ever a time when you don't know what's going on, James?" Kesthula asked as they leaped over the gate and into the court which was restricted only to Vampires.

"Yes. When I was a lot younger and naïve," Harry replied as he kicked through a side door gaining entrance to the throne room. Several vampires drew their spears and pointed it at Harry, but he easily batted them away and slipped unharmed to the center of the throne room where a blue flame burned. "Poseidon! What is the Ameron Army of Atlantis doing marching on Triteron?"

"You will speak to the king with respect, you lowly human!" a voice barked back at Harry from the flame, but it was not the voice he was hoping to hear from.

"Shut up, Atlas! I'm asking your father a question and demanding an answer," Harry fired back. He was impatient at the moment as Atlantis had made peace with Triteron only a century ago after the conclusion of the War of the Ancients. "You don't have much time, Poseidon! Once they enter this building, I will attack them regardless of the fact that I hold your personal insignia marking me as one of the knights of your Viridian Order!"

"You will do no such thing!" an omnipotent voice roared sending fear into all those inside the throne room with the exception of Harry. "You will stand down, Nameless One. You will help neither side in this struggle."

"Are you ordering me to watch as a pointless war wage before my eyes?" Harry cried out in outrage. "Are you telling a Viridian Knight to allow chaos to arise when we were created for the sake of mediating peace and keeping order?"

"Yes," Poseidon replied effortlessly. "I am ordering you to do just that."

"No. Call back your troops!" Harry shot back, unable to follow his orders. "Call your troops back or at least order them to stand down!"

"I cannot, for I am not their leader," Poseidon replied.

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned as he stared coldly into the fire.

"Do you sense it, Nameless One? Do you sense the one who has brought war to the steps of Triteron?" Poseidon answered with another question.

"Sense wh—Gadeira? Gadeira is coming?" Harry cried out in shock. "I thought he was sealed by the Ancients during the war!"

"Stand down, Nameless one," Poseidon ordered once more.

"Very well, Poseidon," Harry finally submitted. "I will not engage the incoming army, but I am not going to stand by and watch them slaughter civilians."

"Do what you must to protect the innocent, Nameless One, as I know not even I can stop you from doing that," Poseidon stated as the flame died.

"Kes, get the King, Queen and all non-military residents of the castle and lead them as far away from here as possible," Harry ordered his friend as he made his way towards the door out.

"Nameless One," a stern voice spoke catching the attention of Harry. Harry stopped at the door and turned around to face the speaker only to realize it was none other than King Aldamar. "Please take Kesthula with you and escape with the civilians. I will engage the enemy with my men."

"My lord, what's the meaning of this?" Kesthula questioned.

"You need not address me as such anymore, Kesthula. From this moment forth you shall be the Seventh King of Triteron. I, King Aldamar, Sixth King of Triteron, bestow you the crown and the throne. Take it, as I have and the kings before me, and rule this country as you see fit," Aldamar announced as he took the crown from his head and placed it upon Kesthula's. "Nameless One, please keep the King of Triteron safe."

"What about you?" Kesthula asked the former king.

"I will die in your place," Aldamar replied bluntly. "They have come to kill the King of Triteron, and so they will have a king to kill."

"You can't be serious, my lord!" Kesthula cried out.

"He's very serious, Kes," Harry stated as he walked over to his friend. "We need to get out before--" Harry never finished his sentence before the entrance into the throne room was blown open sending several vampires across the room.

"I've come for your head, King Aldamar!" a pompous voice called out from behind a cloud of smoke. "Give yourself up and I may just let some of these creatures to live."

"I will not surrender," Aldamar announced as drew a great sword. "Come and take my head if you can!"

"Very well. Kill them all!" the pompous voice commanded as the smoke cleared revealing eight men and women dressed in viridian robes. Each of the men and women wielded a single guardless long sword which had runes carved on both sides of the blade. The blade and hilt were pure white in color, but the runes gave off a colored glow. Two of the blades glowed blue, three green, another two yellow and the leader's was red.

"What are you attempting to do, Gadeira?" Harry asked stopping the advances of the eight Viridian Knights. None of them had noticed his presence before, but now their eyes were all on him.

"You!" Gadeira cried out in anger. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you. Last I saw you was when you were banished to another world during the War of the Ancients," Harry replied.

"Have you forgotten, you pitiful human, that I _am _immortal?" Gadeira asked. "We, children of Poseidon, are the rightful guardians of Earth and these hellspawns of Hades should be buried just like he was!"

"You are impervious to age and sickness, but not death," Harry countered.

"Are you threatening to kill me? A Knight of the Viridian Order?" Gadeira questioned with doubt that Harry could succeed.

"No. It's no threat. I'm merely stating the facts. However, I am not here to clash with you, Gadeira. I, along with the rest of the Viridian Knights were forbidden to interfere with your war with Triteron," Harry replied coolly as he sheathed his black bladed sword.

"Good. Then get out of my sight!" Gadeira spat at Harry before Aldamar and a score of vampires dashed forward to clash with eight Viridian Knights. Harry watched as the vampires were cut down mercilessly and effortlessly by the Viridian Knights while holding Kesthula back.

As all the vampires fell save for King Aldamar, the Viridian Knights moved around him forming a circle. "You may take my head, son of Poseidon, but the Kingdom of Triteron will still live!"

"Big talk for a dying king!" Gadeira spat before he noticed Amaris standing behind him. She had sheathed her wand and short sword, but remained on guard. "What's this? A dark being you created to become your mistress?"

"No, she's a human," Aldamar started, but Gadeira ignored the old king.

"Doesn't matter. She's a dark creature therefore condemned to death," Gadeira said before slashing out his sword decapitating the Sixth King of Triteron.

"Leave her alone, Gadeira. Amaris has nothing to do with your war with the vampires," Harry called out quickly.

"By my authority as Viridian Knight, I declare you, Amaris, a criminal of the world and to be executed without trial!" Gadeira announced as a scroll appeared and another name was added.

Harry quickly pulled out his own scroll and saw that Amaris had been added even when Poseidon had taken that ability away so long as Amaris was with Harry. "Remove her name!" Harry bellowed as he started towards Amaris, but she was across the room. Even with all the enchantments and spells to boost his speed, Harry knew he could not reach her in time should the Viridian Knights make a move. Teleportation would get him there, as would Apparation, but there were wards placed in the castle to fend off both.

"No, she does not have the right to live," Gadeira said as he and his seven Viridian Knights moved quickly to surround Amaris. Harry was halfway there when he saw blood spray in eight different directions. Then he saw Amaris fall to the ground, bleeding from various wounds, all which were mortal wounds. Harry did not stop running forward, but he saw Gadeira and his knights lift their swords to stab at the already dying Amaris.

Seeing that Harry had few options, as Veridian Knights were immune to most spells, he pulled out his scabbard and threw it with all his might slamming it hard into Gadeira's back throwing him into the circle causing all the knights to fall back a step. This gave Harry just enough time to pull Amaris out, but as he searched for her pulse, he found none.

"Amaris…" Harry whispered as he cradled her in his arms. "Wake up, Amaris. Please, don't leave me. I still need you."

"Step away from that creature," Gadeira ordered Harry, but he did not respond. "Are you going to go against my order?"

Suddenly, light exploded in the center of the room and a giant bear walking on two appeared. "Step down, Gadeira," Mikhal commanded with a voice that rivaled Poseidon's. "Poseidon, have you any idea what your son has done?"

"Yes," a new voice spoke entering the room. "He has violated the code of a Viridian Knight by attacking the companion of another Knight."

"What are you talking about, father?" Gadeira demanded. "That filthy hellspawn is the mistress of that old fart claiming leadership of this cursed kingdom."

"You fool!" Poseidon bellowed, silencing his son. "Amaris was never to be touched by any Viridian Knight for she is one companion of our highest ranking Viridian Knight, the Nameless One!"

"What are you talking about? I'm the highest ranking knight! I'm the only one to achieve the red glow!" Gadeira cried out as his blade burned crimson red.

"Amaris has returned to her rightful time, Harry," Mikhal spoke in a voice only Harry would hear. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep her from leaving you, but you will meet her again. That I promise you."

"This was not how she was supposed to leave!" Harry cried out with tears burning down his cheeks. "She was supposed to return without having to go through the pain of death! We were supposed to find a way to send her back!"

"Yes, we were," Mikhal agreed, trying to comfort Harry. "But it's time to let her go. If her body remains here any longer, she will not make it back to her time."

Harry remained hesitant at first, but he knew if he didn't let go now, he would never see her again. "Goodbye, my love. I will see you again." As he finished, Harry rested Amaris's body on the floor and watched it change into thousands of small lights before it opened a portal and jumped away. "Poseidon, I'm going to kill Gadeira and the seven who murdered my beloved Amaris." Harry stated coldly as he drew two sword handles which had no blades. Both were pure black and with the length of two hands.

"Like you could!" Gadeira spat as he was drawn away from his argument with Poseidon.

"You know the consequences of such actions; do you not, Nameless One?" Poseidon asked.

"Yes. I will not run away from facing punishment," Harry stated as he wiped away his tears.

"Very well," Poseidon stated as he called his guards back allowing a field for Harry to fight Gadeira and his seven knights.

"Hmph!" Gadeira scoffed at Harry. "You will barely prove to be a challenge."

"I'll make you eat those words, you bastard." Harry promised as two long curved black blades erupted from the sword handles he held in each hand. On both sides of each blade were white runes emitting a white glow.

"White?" Gadeira cried out in shock. "Black blades and white runes?"

"Yes, Gadeira," Poseidon answered his son. "The Nameless One is the only Viridian Knight to rightfully wield two black bladed Runeblades with white runes. Few have seen him in battle with his Runeblades and none has ever lived to tell their tale after crossing him when he has his Runeblades drawn. I pity you, Gadeira, for even I fear provoking the wrath of the Nameless One."

"What are you saying, Father?" Gadeira asked. "Are you saying that this puny little human is greater than you in strength?" Poseidon chose to remain silent leaving his son to face Harry.

"Are you done trying to talk your way out of this one, Gadeira?" Harry asked as a viridian flame burst through his sleeves revealing two tridents tattooed to his arms and emitting a bright gold light. Harry made no move to attack yet, as he waited for his opponents to make their first move. He wanted them to make the first move considering it would be the last battle any of them fought.

The first two Viridian Knights moved forward wielding their glowing blue Runeblades and the others quickly followed. Harry could see that they were skilled by the way they moved forward. Then, they launched forward at lightning speeds to attack. However, Harry remained passive as he dodged each of their strikes. None came close to drawing a drop of blood.

After studying each knight's movements, Harry fell into an attack stance then lashed out in quick succession shattering each of the knight's Runeblades before flipping his Runeblade in his left hand around holding the sword in reverse. Then, like a whirlwind, Harry spun towards his right slashing with increasing fury. From the outside, all the audience saw was seven bodies explode and blood splashing everywhere. When Harry stopped, Gadeira was the only one left standing, but in a pool of his own blood. Deep wounds covered his body and each one was as painful as the next.

"Damn you, Nameless One!" Gadeira cursed as he fell back.

"No, damn you for killing Amaris. She had nothing to do with your stupid war, yet you killed her in cold blood," Harry said before he let his two swords drop to the ground. Harry brought his hands to his shoulder and then used his magic to slice open his flesh where the back end of his trident tattoo was. Blood streamed down from his wound and the tattoo pealed off and solidified into metal. Not wanting to have the tattoo any longer, Harry forcefully ripped it out of his arms tearing a large opening exposing his bones.

Most of the audience watched in horror while some cringed in pain. Every Viridian Knight had the same tattoo marking them and when they were exiled, it was removed. Harry cared not for the Viridian Order and submitted himself to exile as that was the punishment for killing another Viridian Knight. He lifted the two tridents, as they had solidified into golden replicas of the trident Poseidon carried, and stabbed it into the chest of Gadeira.

"From this day forth, you are stripped of your rank and title," Poseidon declared. "You no longer have the right to be called the Nameless One, therefore I must ask you to choose a name."

"I won't," Harry stated as his magic quickly healed his two arms. "I don't have the right to do so."

"Then I will give you a name," Kesthula spoke out. "I, Kesthula Melphier del'Shyadi, the Seventh King of Triteron, bestow upon you the name Variskul Romana."

"Then Varhiskul Romana my name shall be," Harry said as he turned and walked away. "And I will return to my duties as a hunter."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hm... My chapters seem to get longer and longer. Well, Harry's past is fairly complicated. In this chapter, Harry does attempt to use more magic than his current body is capable of. I know some of you have asked about why Harry's so weak. I've rewritten the first two chapters adding a more detailed explanation, but I'll explain it here as well. Harry's new body was not capable of magic in the first place, so the use of magic strains his body and will cause a rebound (as shown in this chapter) if he's not careful. If he had his old body, Harry could rip all his enemies to shreds without breaking a sweat. This is why Silva is there. As a silver griffon, Silva has access to a great amount of magic and also has the ability to transfer it to Harry because of their bond. He takes the strain off of Harry's body, but he too is not as strong as Harry in the past. So, Silva can only give Harry a limited amount of magic each time. As they grow, they'll be able to gain greater strength and hold out longer. 

As for Neville being an insufferable brat, he'll soon undergo a transformation that'll make him more likable. That's the reason CAIN was created. I won't say more right now as it'll be explained in a few chapters. There's also Frank who seems to have everyone's blessing to be Minister while Neville's such a brat. I'll add this when I revise some of the earlier chapters, but Alice was the one raising Neville and allowed him to become spoiled. Frank was always away at the Ministry so he does little to raise his son. But this doesn't mean Frank's not a competent Minister. He is and I'll have a chapter explaining how he gained the support of everyone.

And finally, Hermione. I'm planning to give her a similar role as the one she has in canon. She's also going to become stronger with some help from Harry, but he's not the person who's going to make her strong. If there's anything else I've missed, write it in a review or email me or something. I know I have a lot of points in which I haven't explained clearly, but everything makes sense to me so I wouldn't know when it's not clear.

Edit: One last thing I need to point out: Harry was and will be the most powerful being on the face of Earth. His twin won't even be able to stand up to Harry when Harry is at 100. At the moment, Harry is weakened because of what was mentioned above, so just about everyone is more powerful than he is without boosts from Silva. His twin is powerful though, but the secret about Harry's twin is not the difference between their powers. The secret has to do about the birth of Harry and his twin. That's the most I'm going to say for now except that I have already introduced Harry's twin. He's hidden somewhere in the previous chapters.


	17. Trust

Chapter 17 – Trust

* * *

"What happened?" Neville shouted at Cyril as he came back with a group of CAIN members covered in bruises as well as looking as if they had taken a beating.

"We underestimated Potter," Cyril replied as he sat himself down across from Neville.

"What did he fight you with? A club?" Ron asked the older boy sarcastically.

"No, just his fists. That kid is incredibly quick," Cyril answered. "I can see why Dumbledore wants him on our side, but I doubt he would join willingly."

"How about the others?" Neville asked quickly. "Are they afraid of saying bad thing about me?"

"Most of them are, yes," Cyril replied. "However, for your mother's plan to work, you have to act as a forgiving person. Can you do that?"

"No," Neville spat. "People should be listening to me!"

"Neville, if you continue acting like that, you'll just make yourself into a bully and no one will like you, even _if _you are The-Boy-Who-Lived." Ron reasoned trying to calm Neville down.

"Neville, we are here to support you, but if you can't live up to your roles, we're not going to follow you any longer. Even that man, Zavond, said we could leave," Cyril said without consideration of Neville's mood.

"No! I want them to listen to me now!" Neville shouted.

"Have a little patience!" Cyril shouted. "Isn't that what you mom said?"

"This is unfair!" Neville whined.

Ron looked at his friend and said, "Look, Neville, wouldn't you want to be the good guy?"

"Yes," Neville answered.

"Then be a good guy. Forgive people and they will like you," Ron reasoned. "If they don't, Cyril can always do what he does."

Neville glared at Ron, but saw his reasoning. It was what his mom had told him just earlier after a long discussion about how he was acting. His father had only agreed to speak to Dumbledore and then Minerva about giving Neville position as seeker if Neville would behave. So far, Neville knew he hadn't been behaving, but it's that stupid Potter's fault!

"Fine! I won't bully other kids as much," Neville gave in. "But if Potter does anything, I'll beat him up!"

"Neville, just ignore Potter," Ron said to his friend.

"Listen to your only friend with a sense of reason, Neville. Just leave Potter alone for now," Cyril agreed. "Dumbledore says he's handling him. When has Dumbledore ever failed to control a student?"

"He couldn't control Potter's dad," Neville spat.

"But you know as well as I that it wasn't the same then as it is now," Cyril countered. "I'm sorry, but you need to stop acting like a brat, Neville!"

"What did you call me?" Neville shouted in anger.

"Neville," Ron said calmly, "You need to calm down."

"I called you a brat," Cyril repeated.

"Say that again and I will hit you!" Neville threatened as he stalked towards Cyril, but Ron held him back as much as he possibly could.

"Remember what you're mom said!" Ron shouted in Neville's ear hoping he would calm down.

"You brat!" Cyril goaded again while standing up to face Neville.

"You! You!" Neville began, but he had heard Ron's words earlier. Gritting his teeth, Neville repeated what his mom had him practice for the past hour. "Please forgive me for losing my anger. I'm sorry for being so bad to you before."

"Good," Cyril said as he sat down. "Now we're making some progress."

"You tricked me!" Neville shouted as he lunged forward, but Ron was there to stop him again.

"No, you are a brat, Neville," Cyril insulted again. "But if you can learn how to hold back, then you won't be a brat."

"I'm sorry for getting mad," Neville apologized as he stepped back. "Can we start over? I want us to be friends."

"Good," Cyril told Neville. "However, speaking toneless like that makes you sound stupid."

Again, Neville stepped forward, but this time he stopped himself. Gritting his teeth, Neville turned to Ron and asked, "What do I say?"

"Um…" Ron mumbled as he did not expect to be put on the spot. "Say you're sorry and ask if there's any way to fix it."

"Say you're sorry and ask if there's any way to fix it," Neville repeated to Cyril.

"No," Ron cried out. "Don't repeat what I just said! Say something like, 'I'm sorry, is there anything I can do to fix this?'"

"Oh. I'm sorry, is there anything I can do to fix this?" Neville said to Cyril with a toneless voice.

"Still doesn't sound natural. Apology not accepted," Cyril said nonchalantly.

"Hey! I said sorry!" Neville cried out.

"Calm down, Neville," Ron said quickly. "You have to sound like you mean it. That's what you're trying to say, right, Cyril?"

"Neville should figure things out on his own for once," Cyril said coldly. "Having you there to help him all the time just makes him a spoiled brat not to mention that his mom babies him all the time."

"Shut up, Cyril!" Neville demanded as he tried to break free from Ron's grip.

"No, I won't," Cyril replied coolly. "Not until you figure out how to stop being a damn brat."

"I'll get you for this!" Neville promised, but Cyril paid him no heed.

"No you won't," Cyril shot back. "Not if you don't want me to leave, you damn brat. The reason why I agreed to this is because Zavond had requested I join with you to create a new wizard society that stood above the painfully ignorant Muggles, however, I'm not going to follow a stupid spoiled brat who doesn't know the first thing about leadership!"

Neville was about to open his mouth and shout something back, but held back. He slammed his jaws shut and clenched his teeth tightly.

"Do you want to be seen as a hero for all time and seen as the greatest wizard ever alive?" Cyril asked as he turned to face Neville.

Gritting his teeth, Neville gave a slight nod in response.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Cyril shot coldly. "I asked you a question and I expect you to give me an answer!"

"Yes," Neville said quietly. "I want to be seen as a hero for all time."

"Good, now you have to learn to stop being a spoiled brat. If you can't do that, I will leave, and if you cannot keep me by your side, then how do you expect others to follow?" Cyril replied.

"I don't know," Neville answered truthfully.

"They won't follow," Cyril shot quickly. "They will all leave your side and join Potter; do you want that to happen?"

"No," came Neville's simple reply.

"Good, because I don't want to join him either," Cyril stated. "I will teach you everything you need to know about being a leader, but you need to learn how to build yourself a mask."

"A mask?" Neville questioned. "What do you mean, like something to put on my face?"

"Yes, but not literally," Cyril answered. "What I'm talking about is a fake personality. You can be as bratty as you want when you're with your parents or friends, but when you walk through the halls of Hogwarts, you need to have this mask on. This mask will make you look like you're not a brat."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neville shot impatiently.

"It means that you will be a goody-two-shoes when you're in the public," Cyril answered angrily, frustrated with how painfully slow Neville was. "Do you have anything inside that skull of yours or is it just filled with a bunch of water to give it weight?"

"You!" Neville started, but when he noticed a glare from Ron, he paused. "What am I suppose to do?"

"Good, there's a start," Cyril congratulated. "Apologize and ask for forgiveness. Then ask me to clarify."

Neville opened his mouth, but could not bring himself to say the words. _Why should I be sorry? _"What's the point of this!" Neville decided to say.

"BY MERLIN'S BEARD, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING INSIDE YOUR HEAD OR IS IT JUST FILLED WITH WATER SO FLOBBERWORMS CAN HAVE A NICE SWIM IN IT?" Cyril shouted as he lost all his patience.

"Shut up you filthy bastard!" Neville screamed back. "You're ju-"

Neville never finished before a fist smashed into his jaw. When Neville turn to look who threw the punch, he found Ron standing over him. "Sorry, Neville, but you need to calm down." Ron told his friend. "Cyril was kind enough to give you lessons so please bear with him. I know it doesn't feel good to be insulted and I want to punch Cyril's face, but this is all for your own good. If you don't work with him, Potter will just take over."

"Like Potter can do something like that?" Neville shot back in disgust.

"He can and he will," Cyril answered. "Although Harry is shunned by most people, he is not without friends. Everyone you have pushed away Harry befriends. As much as I hate to admit it, but Harry now has the trust of my pathetic little brother, Draco."

"How's that possible?!" Neville cried out. "I thought you said Draco doesn't trust anyone!"

"He doesn't. I made him that way," Cyril stated. "However, to gain Draco's trust is not something a person can do easily. Especially someone born to a family like the Potters."

"What are we going to do about it?" Neville asked.

"Nothing," Cyril replied. "You will do nothing. I will think of something."

"When you do, tell me," Neville demanded.

"No, you don't need to know anymore than that I work behind the scenes. What I do must remain a secret even from you. This way you can deny it as much as you want and no one will ever know even if they give you Veritaserum," Cyril told Neville quickly. "For now, just forget about Draco and Potter. There's a lot we have to work on and we need to focus on building your mask as that is the most important task."

* * *

Fred and George left the Great Hall after supper to return to their rooms where James Potter was waiting. Everyone was talking about how they were attacked inside Hogwarts. Some were even sent to Madam Pomfrey and the twins knew the Medical Wing was overflowing with patients.

They would have joined the crowd had Silva not been with the twins. They were searching for Harry at the time as ordered by James who had to return to his wife. Silva alerted Fred and George of a group of students closing in on them with the intentions of hurting them, so George pulled out two blue marbles and tossed it on either side of them creating a crystal wall isolating the three from any threats. Fred quickly searched the floor for an entrance to one of the many secret corridors. When he found it, Fred, George and Silva hopped down and hid until the coast was clear.

"Who do you think started all this?" Fred asked his brother as they made their way up the stairs.

"I don't think Neville could have come up with a plan like this one," George noted.

"Yeah, it seems unlikely he has anything in that skull of his other than water and flobberworms," Fred laughed.

"Maybe it was 'that' guy," George said referring to the person Harry had fought.

"Maybe, but it doesn't fit his profile. He rains down death and destruction," Fred disagreed. "There were no deaths and no destruction. Just people getting jinxed or beat up because they had said something bad about Neville in the past."

"That's true. All the victims were kids who either laughed at Neville or said something to anger him. As of the moment, we don't know if 'that' guy is related to Neville at all," George agreed with Fred's statement.

"Brother, we are kids too," Fred noted.

"No, no, we're not _just _kids," George countered.

"You are absolutely right. How could I have forgotten?" Fred laughed. "We're _mischievous _kids!"

"Yup! And never forget that again," George told his brother.

"Now, what were we talking about again?" Fred asked his brother as they reached the door to their rooms. He noticed that they had gone off topic, but had forgotten what the topic was.

"Hm…" George thought for a moment. "Probably something we should ask Mr. Potter."

"Yeah," Fred agreed as he opened the door.

"Hello, boys," James greeted from the shadows.

"Did you find Harry?" the twins voiced in unison.

"Yes, we did. He was fighting with Cyril when something went wrong," James answered, but refrained from giving the full story. "Harry's resting at the moment, but he's not going to be back for a while. Silva has taken Harry's spot for now and I will double as Harry for Quidditch practice."

"Won't someone hear us?" Fred asked.

"No," James replied without a hint of worry. "When you walked through the door, I created an illusion which showed the two of you dropping into bed. The only thing people would hear, magically or nonmagically, is the sound of you two snoring."

"That's brilliant!" the twins exclaimed.

"It is," James said proudly as he puffed his chests. "Now, we need to find us some more friends for Harry before Neville makes his next move. Dumbledore has already made arrangements to move my son to a different room, so we have a bit more freedom, but I doubt Dumbledore would decide not to keep an eye on Harry."

"So, what's the plan?" Fred asked.

"We could start of with the people that were targeted," George noted.

"Yes, that would be a good place to start," James agreed. "I have to run. My wife would figure out something was wrong if I stayed in the bathroom for over twenty minutes."

"Bathroom?" the twins asked in unison.

"Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies," James said quickly before he entered a hidden doorway and disappeared.

* * *

Harry let out a painful roar as he jerked up and back to reality. Placing one hand on his face, Harry eased his panting down to a slower more normal pace. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but Harry was used to it. Having dreams about his past was something that haunted Harry no matter what he has done in retribution or redemption. 

As Harry moved to get out of bed, he heard footsteps approaching from the door. He turned to find James standing at the doorway with a towel. "You should take it easy and rest a bit more, son," James said as he tossed Harry the towel. "I could hear you screaming from downstairs."

"Sorry," Harry said weakly, but he still persisted to stand.

"Settle down, son," James ordered. "Kes said that you will need plenty of rest before that body of yours will be able to function again. I'm not exactly sure what he means by that, but Harry, you're pushing yourself way too hard."

"I know, dad," Harry answered as he remained seated. "Wait, how do you know Kes?"

"Funny story actually," James said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Shortly after you were born, Sirius and I were sent by the Order to capture a group of vampires rumored to be allied to Voldemort. When we arrived, Sirius and I found ourselves in the midst of an army! They all wore this golden insignia-"

"Of a 'T' wrapped around by roses," Harry finished for his father as he lay back down to bed.

"Then I suppose you already know it's an insignia for royalty," James said.

"It's the insignia of Kesthula, the Seventh King of Triteron and the first Lord of Havoc," Harry answered his father.

"The Lord of Havoc part I don't know. Anyways, continuing my story. As you know, Sirius is not one for making discreet movements," James continued.

"What did Sirius do this time? Set off a load of fireworks?" Harry laughed.

"Worse. He ignited all dynamite which circled the area blowing the floor we were standing on apart from the rest of the floor. None knew that it was hollow beneath us, so all of us fell eighty or so feet. At least it was sand down there, but didn't stop it from hurting." James narrated.

"So, what did Sirius ingeniously do to make matters worse?" Harry asked as he was now clearly enjoying the story.

"It seems my Sirius and the Sirius of your past doesn't have much not in common," James laughed before continuing. "Well, Sirius had the bright idea of standing in dead center so he could cry out for the vampires to surrender as out 'allies above' will destroy them."

"Did anyone buy his lie?"

"Nope. Not a single soul. But the never really had the chance to judge the statement. Just as Sirius took a step forward to the spot which had the largest collection of dust, a good sized piece of rubble fell on his head causing Sirius to lose his footing, slip and fall into the tomb of the vampire. No one knows exactly what happened inside as the cover slid shut immediately. When it opened, what we found was Sirius lying inside kissing three gorgeous spirits!"

Harry roared in laughter before realizing that the tomb, although not mentioned directly, is where Harry had sealed Kesthula millennia ago. "Wait, does this mean that it wasn't Sirius kissing the ghosts but Kes?"

"Right on the spot!" James called out.

"That is so like Kes," Harry said while shaking his head. "He didn't even notice he got a body."

"He didn't notice even after he was out walking about. I think it finally registered for him when I told him (who I thought was Sirius) that we needed to get back home to take care of you." James continued the story. Then, with a sparkle in his eyes, James asked, "Do you want to know what happens next?"

"Damn you, James!" the voice of Sirius Black shouted as he entered the room. "Why can't you ever tell embarrassing stories about yourself?"

"That's because I have none!" James answered with a cocky tone.

"Wait, what are you doing here, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"To interrupt your father from telling my embarrassing story!" Sirius cried out, but that was not the real reason.

"Well, if you don't want me to tell it, then finish it yourself," James shot at his best friend. "Either way, Harry's going to want to know what happens."

"Yeah, what happens next?" Harry asked, intrigued by his father's story.

"Show him, Sirius," James said to his best friend.

"I really can't," Sirius whispered feeling embarrassed.

"Why? You've always showed it off!" James fired back.

"That's when there's plenty of women are around," Sirius replied.

"Plenty of women, that sure sounds like Kes," the three spoke in unison which gave them all a good laugh.

"I'm guessing the reason why you aren't doing it is because Kes has run off or something," James said to his best friend.

"Sorta. I was trying to catch him to get him to stay put until Harry wakes, but he went door jumping instead. After entering one of the doors, he didn't come back," Sirius stated.

"Which door did he walk through?" Harry asked curiously.

"The one with GD on it," Sirius answered.

Immediately, Harry rose from the bed completely revitalized. He then proceeded to a cabinet and swung the doors wide open. Inside was an assortment of necklaces, gauntlets, belts, boots, grieves, bracers, rings, armor and weapons. Harry pulled out a belt with a bull's head on the front while two holsters were attached on the back and strapped it around himself. Next, Harry pulled out a light vest which looked to have hundreds of pockets to hold something small. After zipping up the vest, Harry took eight rings and wore it on each of his fingers skipping his index finger. He thought about taking a pair of gauntlets, but decided against it and took a silver necklace with a sapphire hanging on it. For weapons, Harry pulled open a latch to a secret compartment revealing various revolvers and drew two with the simplest designs. After shoving them forcefully into the holsters, Harry pulled over a large but loose coat.

"What's going on?" James asked his son, but Harry didn't respond. Instead, Harry walked silently down the stairs to the door Sirius pointed out earlier.

"I think Kes might have entered the wrong door," Sirius speculated.

Without hesitation, Harry swung the door wide open and walked through. When he reappeared, Harry was in a secret area behind the stairs up to the boy's dormitory of the Gryffindor Tower. Harry had plans for installing gateways for a while, but never got around to it. It seemed Silva installed them in Harry's place to allow communication between his father and the twins. Silently, Harry walked out into the open where he found a large group of girls surrounding a man who was obviously flirting with them all. James and Sirius followed closely behind, not sure what Harry was up to. Suddenly, Harry drew his pistol with lightning speeds and fired off two shots. James and Sirius, having seen many Muggle movies with guns in them braced for loud explosions, but instead found nothing but a clicking sound of the hammer striking while two white balls of energy shot at the back of the man's head.

"OWW!" the man cried out as he was thrown from his seat and landed face first onto the ground beneath him. "Who the hell did that?" he demanded as he spun around only to find Harry shoving the barrel down into his face with a demonic glare.

"So, Kes, would you mind telling me why in the name of the Counsel's you are doing here flirting with these innocent girls?" Harry asked coldly. "None of them are of legal age yet, so I sure as hell hope you weren't seducing any, were you?"

"No!" Kesthula cried out. "No! Of course not! I would _never _do anything to upset you!"

"Oh really?" Harry asked with a voice full of skepticism. He leaned forward while putting a foot firmly down on Kesthula's chest so he wouldn't be able to run. Not easily at least, since Harry's belt enhanced his strength to be greater than a vampire's. "That's not very convincing, Kes. I've known you to-"

"Harry," James interrupted Harry quickly, "I think we should talk about this privately."

It was then that Harry realized that he _was _in the Gryffindor Tower _and _surrounded by a group of girls who are now doubt scared out of their minds. Slowly, Harry looked up to see hundreds of glares coming from all the girls as they were enjoying his company. Those weren't looks of freight, but of pure anger instead. "Heh…" Harry laughed nervously as he quickly holstered his gun and pulled Kesthula up to his feet. "We were just playing a game, right, Kes?" Harry said nervously to his friend hoping that Kesthula would play along.

"Yes, yes," Kesthula agreed, not wanting to incur any more of Harry's wrath, "This is out greeting game of sorts, isn't it Harry?"

"Very true!" Harry answered nervously. "Come with me upstairs, Kes. Dad and Sirius want to talk to us about something!"

"Oh, yes!" James said, playing along with his son.

"Family stuff," Sirius added hoping it would be enough as Harry and Kesthula tread nervously towards the stairs.

"Harry, how _are_ you related to a vampire?" an oh-so-familiar voice _had _to ask.

"Yes, vampire," Harry began as he spun around while secretly ushering his father, Sirius and Kesthula to exit the scene. "Well, Hermione, Kes is a family friend. We're fairly close."

"How long have you known one another?" Hermione asked out of pure curiosity causing all the girls in the room to focus on Harry.

_Let's see, how long have I known the womanizing idiot of a king? _Harry asked himself. _50000 years? That sounds about right. _"As long as I can remember," Harry replied hoping Hermione would not ask anymore questions.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" one of the seventh years asked with a dreamy voice.

Harry's jaw just dropped. Literally. This was not something he expected. Not at all. Yet, here Harry was, standing at the center of a large crowd of girls most of whom were interested in his response. "I'm not at liberty to-"

"Come on!" Another girl whined.

"You have to know! You live with him!" a third cried out as others soon followed.

"Alright! Alright," Harry shouted to calm the crowd down. "Before I answer, let me ask you all a question, how long has he been here?"

"I don't know," one girl said.

"Time seemed to fly so quickly when we're with him," another girl said and others agreed.

"Four hours and twenty three minutes. Twenty when you showed up," Hermione answered precisely. "I must confess, I do enjoy talking with him although all he does is comment on how good everyone looks," Hermione added shyly.

"Yes!" Lavender agreed, "He does! But he's so good at it!"

"I know!" Vicky concurred. "Kes is like the perfect man even though he's a vampire!"

"Yes, yes!" the crowd agreed which caused Harry to slap both hands on his face in both disappointment and shame.

"Oh, you haven't answered our question yet," Pavarti said to Harry bringing the focus back on him.

"Alright, a promise is a promise," Harry sighed heavily. "To my knowledge, Kes has yet to be in a serious relationship."

"Then that means he can come more frequently, right?" Lavender asked.

"Sirius!" Harry called out to his Godfather who was rolling on the ground behind Harry clasping his mouth so he would laugh too loud. James was sitting on the stairs with blown up cheeks which obviously meant he was trying to hold back his laughter. As for Kesthula, he was attempting to enter the girls' dormitory but failing horribly.

"Give me a minute, Harry," Sirius told Harry while gasping for breath, but soon started laughing again. "I'm sorry, but this is just too funny!"

"Can I stay here?" Kesthula asked hopefully which turned the crowd of girls' eyes into hearts.

"Absolutely! Be my guest!" Sirius called out quickly.

At the same time, James shouted, "Yes! That would be great! Then you wouldn't be hitting on my wife every time I take my eyes off of you!"

"You're too good to be true," Kesthula serenaded to the girls, "Can't take my eyes off of you! You'd be like Heaven to touch! I want to hold you so much!"

However, Kesthula's song was cut short when Harry pulled out his pistol and jabbed the barrel into Kesthula's mouth. "You know how painful this would be," Harry threatened as Kesthula was the last person Harry ever wanted to be at Hogwarts with him, regardless of how useful the vampire might be in a fight.

"Tata, son!" James called out as he dashed behind the stairs.

"Take care of Kes!" Sirius added as he followed. "We'll leave him in your care until, I don't know. How about indefinitely!"

"You!" Harry cried out in anger as his father and Godfather disappeared. "What kind of adults are you?" But Harry never received an answer before he was mauled by the girls who leaped over to Kesthula hoping he would catch them in his arms.

"Ladies, ladies! Slow down!" Kesthula said as he led them back to the common room to have a seat. "There's plenty of me to go around if you're all willing to share. And by the looks of it, I won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

As Harry got up from the ground, he could do nothing but let out a cry of frustration as he hated nothing more than to be in the company of his vampire friends when girls or women were around. There was no limit to how many Kesthula could seduce at once nor did he have restrictions. Kesthula was a male vampire who loved all humanoid females that ever crossed paths with him. Sensing that there was nothing he could do to change the situation, Harry just made his way out of the Gryffindor Tower hoping to find something to keep himself busy.

"Harry!" a voice called behind him stopping Harry as he was about to descend down the stairs.

"Oh, Hermione," Harry said as he turned around to meet the girl who had been forbidden to speak to him. "Wait, we're you not suppose to speak to me?"

"Where have _you _been for the past two week?" Hermione asked. "After shutting himself in his room for a full week after the Troll incident, Neville said he was sorry and admitted to being a brat. Then he asked everyone if they would forgive him and teach him how to be a good individual!"

"What? Neville said this?" Harry cried out in shock. _Impossible!_

"Did you strike yourself in the head or something?" Hermione questioned. "You were standing right next to Neville when he said all this!"

"Oh…" Harry muttered while letting his jaw drop. _Two weeks. What the hell happened in the two weeks that I've been gone?_ "Right. I must be a bit tired and forgetting things."

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked. "It's only eleven in the morning."

"Yes, I'm fine," Harry replied automatically, but Hermione gave him a stern but unbelieving look. "Okay, maybe I'm not actually fine."

"What's wrong? Do you want to go see Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione said quickly with worry.

"No, I don't need to. Just need to get away form that womanizing idiot!" Harry said with disgust.

"You're not jealous of him, are you?" Hermione teased with a sly smile.

"No. NO!" Harry cried out. Actually, Harry was a bit, but he won't admit to that. Especially not to Hermione. "Why would I be jealous? He just gets all the women but never serious! For me, I want to find a girl I can love and spend the rest of my life with. Even have a family with children and watch them grow up and have children!"

"That's a very adult thing of you to say, Harry," Hermione noted which caused Harry to fumble. Harry opened his mouth to respond, but all he could do was take a deep breath as nothing came.

"Hi, Harry," a new voice entered the conversation. "I was looking for you. Oh, hi Hermione."

"Hi, Blaise. Were you able to finish the potion?" Hermione replied.

"Yes! Thanks for the notes. They were _most _helpful," Blaise answered as she joined Harry and Hermione. "What's wrong, Harry? You look like you were asked if you had a crush or something."

"What? No!" Harry cried out. He didn't like to be teased. No, Harry _never _liked to be teased. That was something Kesthula always did: poke fun at Harry. "We weren't talking about crushes and before you even ask, I don't have a crush."

"Yet," Blaise finished for Harry who had no intention of adding it. "You don't have a crush yet, but you do seem pretty friendly with a couple girls."

"That's very true," Hermione agreed. "I've noticed that you seem to hang around Blaise a lot."

"Are you saying Harry has a crush on me?" Blaise asked, feigning hurt. "What about you? You two are almost always seen together studying in the library!"

"But that's exactly what we're doing, studying!" Hermione countered.

"So, just to clarify, neither of you like me?" Harry asked.

"NO!" Hermione and Blaise shouted in unison.

Harry thought his heart had stopped for a moment. Fortunately, it didn't. Harry didn't want to die this way. Not of shock that two friends that were girls didn't like him. Instead, Harry's legs gave way and he collapse, but as he was standing at the edge of the stairway, Harry began to tumble down the stairs. Because of the shock, Harry made no move to stop his tumbling until he reached the bottom in which he slammed hard on his back.

"What are you doing on the floor like that, Potter?" a snide voice sneered. "You look like you've seen a ghost! Oh, wait, there are ghosts roaming around."

"Help him up, Draco!" Blaise cried out as she rushed down the stairs with Hermione.

"He's not hurt is he?" Hermione followed quickly.

"No," Draco said as he tapped Harry lightly with his boot. "He's fine. Just looks a bit dazed. What did the two of you do? Give him a kiss at the same time?"

"Shut up, Draco!" Blaise shouted as she slapped Draco in the shoulder in anger. "And help him up!"

"That's no way to ask for help, Zabini," Draco replied coldly as he flipped Harry over onto his stomach with his foot. "Look, Potter's not even bleeding. He's just a bit dazed and maybe a bit dizzy as well. He'll be fine."

Suddenly, a heavy blow slammed into the back of Draco's head. "Do you want to see stars as well?" Blaise threatened. "I can make you see very pretty stars, Draco!"

"Alright, alright," Draco submitted. "I'll help him up!" Carefully, Draco lifted Harry's upper body and then dragged him to the wall to sit him up. "There, happy?"

"Very!" Blaise said sweetly.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked as she knelt down next to Harry who still had a dazed look across his face.

"Iwibefin…" Harry muttered.

"Seriously, Harry looks like he's had a heart attack," Draco noted. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing! Really!" Blaise defended herself.

"We were just having a friendly conversation!" Hermione explained.

"Fwendy…" Harry murmured.

"Either that or he looks like he's drunk. Did you give him butterbeer or something?" Draco asked.

"How could we possibly get butterbeer?" Hermione fired back. "It may be the weekend, but only third years and above are allowed to Hogsmead."

"I don't know," Draco replied. "But there's no knowing of how resourceful one might be."

"Shut up, Draco!" Blaise ordered.

"I'm just saying," Draco continued.

"I mean it!" Blaise said more forcefully.

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Draco said as he backed off the issue. Then he noticed a piece of metal on the ground near where Harry had fallen earlier. "What's this?"

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it before," Blaise said as she approached Draco after he picked up the piece of metal from the ground.

"It's a gun," Hermione answered. "A weapon Muggles use. It can be-" Hermione never finished before Draco pulled the trigger. When the hammer slammed down, Draco was thrown back against the wall as a ball of energy blasted out of the barrel slamming into the wall in front of him. However, the wall did not stop the ball of energy. Instead, it bounced off and headed back towards him.

"Look out!" Blaise cried out as she pulled Hermione out of the way, but the ball was not heading towards Hermione. Or Draco or Blaise for that matter. Instead, it hit Harry in the right eye slamming his head back against the wall behind him and immediately his eye turned black.

"Look what you've done to Harry!" Hermione shouted at Draco as she examined Harry's black eye and then checking the back of his head to see if there were any more injuries.

"Meow," a cat purred and sent three pairs of eyes looking towards the sound. There, they found Mr. Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, looking at them with curious eyes.

"Run!" they all whispered in agreement as they picked up Harry and ran off as quickly as possible and hiding the gun as well.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It's been a long while, but here's the next chapter. Sorry that it took so long, but busy lives doesn't offer too much leisure time. 


	18. Faith

Chapter 18 – Faith

* * *

Draco and Hermione carried Harry on their shoulders as Blaise scouted ahead to find a good hiding place. They made their way as quietly as possible and it was not difficult as Harry had a light body. It made Hermione wonder how Harry could have fired the pistol earlier without being thrown back by the recoil like Draco was. 

"Over here!" Blaise whispered as she called Draco and Hermione over behind a giant suit of armor.

Draco quickly moved Harry against the wall with Hermione's help before creeping to one side of the armor and taking watch. "Tend to Potter, Granger," Draco said quietly as he heard footsteps coming from his left. He quickly signaled to Blaise with his hand and she moved back into the shadows while a group of Ravenclaw girls walked by.

Blaise watched Draco nervously as he continued to watch as the group of girls walked past. Although they were silent, Blaise could hear her own heartbeat which sounded like thunder. Her breathing was slower as she held her breath to avoid making sounds. Draco and Hermione had done the same as they did not want people to see them. Especially when they carried an unconscious Harry with a device that would throw Filch into a fit and request for their expulsion.

"Is the coast clear?" Hermione asked when Draco let out a deep sigh.

"It is, for now," Draco answered as he moved towards Hermione.

"Stay away!" Hermione said quickly as she held up her wand.

"Hermione, this is not the time to settle our differences," Draco said, addressing Hermione by her first name for the first time.

"It's your fault that Harry's like this!" Hermione cried out in defense. However, it did not mean that she did not resent Draco for picking on her in the past month.

"Look, I'm sorry for all the things I've said," Draco started to apologize.

"No you're not," Hermione shot back quickly.

"Yes he is," Blaise said in Draco's defense. "Trust me, Hermione, Draco is sorry."

Hermione looked towards Blaise who made no move to step between her and Draco. "Why should I believe that? Malfoy has done nothing but insult me for being raised in an orphanage run by a Squib!"

"And I've called you worse," Draco added which caused Hermione to shoot him a deadly glare. "Look, I thought you were with Neville at the time."

"That's no excuse for the things you did!" Hermione fired back.

"No. It's not. Alright, how about this: after we get out of this mess," Draco started.

"That you put us in," Hermione cut in to note.

"After we get out of this mess, that I got us in," Draco repeated, "I'll let you throw as many jinxes and curses at me until you are satisfied, so long as it doesn't kill me."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"You don't. I'm asking for your trust," Draco replied.

"And you don't trust anyone, so why should you try and get other's trust?" Hermione countered.

Draco looked at Hermione and saw the truth in her words. Yes, he never trusted anyone save for his two younger sisters, but it had changed when he met Blaise. She saw what people didn't and what most people can never see. It could only be described as an aura depicting emotions or intentions. And then Draco met Harry who saved him from his brother without a second thought. Out numbered and overpowered, Harry fought off the seventh years and pulled Draco out without ever thinking that Draco would stab him in the back. So, Draco decided to take a bet and trust Harry Potter.

"There are three people in this world who have my unwavering trust: Blaise and my two younger sisters," Draco stated. "Potter here has recently earned my trust, but our ties are not that strong. And you, Hermione Granger, despite your background, Potter trusts you completely, so I will do the same. For now."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Draco's remark wondering if he was speaking the truth. "Why would Harry trust me? The time he offered friendship I turned it away because of Neville."

"Yet Harry has not treated you differently because of that," Blaise noted, entering the conversation. "When he looks at you, there is tremendous joy, but also guilt and regret."

"Guilt and regret?" Draco and Hermione voiced in unison.

"Yes. With you, Draco, there is only guilt. With Neville, uncertainty. With Dumbledore, pain and distance. With Snape, Harry seeks friendship. However, there is one other person, and only one other person who Harry has the same feelings," Blaise explained.

"Who else would make Harry feel tremendous joy but guilt and regret?" Draco questioned.

"His parents," Hermione stated thinking it was the obvious.

"Regret, yes, but there is no guilt, with Harry's parents or siblings. Instead, there is stupidity," Blaise countered. "The person who Harry gives off the same feelings about is Ronald Weasley."

"Weasel?" Draco cried out in shock.

"That annoying brat?" Hermione exclaimed. "I've never seen Harry try and have a normal conversation with Ron. Are you sure?"

"That's because he's being a bloody git," an unexpected voice entered the conversation. Blaise, Draco and Hermione all spun their heads around to see Harry rubbing his right eye. "Yes, you are correct, Blaise, and no, I'm not going to explain myself. We have to go now. Mrs. Norris has been purring there for the past few minutes now."

The three shot their heads around in a moment's time to find Mrs. Norris watching them. "Mrs. Norris? What are you doing staring at the armor? Or did you find some troublemaking students?" the grumpy voice of Filch asked.

"Perfect timing," Blaise, Hermione and Draco heard Harry say in a fretless voice.

"Come on, boys and girls! Filch is hot on our tail so unless you wish for detention, follow Harry!" a pair whispered in the same voice at the same time. Without wasting a moment's time, Blaise, Draco and Hermione followed Harry as he walked into the darkness. When they were all through, they heard the sliding of a door before torches light up lighting the secret passage way.

"What is this place?" Draco asked as he examined the now closed trapdoor.

"Welcome to the secret corridors of Hogwarts," Fred greeted the three first years following Harry.

"A Weasley?" Draco spat as he spun around.

"No, there's two," George replied pointing out that he was there as well. "What happened to your eye, Harry?"

"Looks like someone gave you a sucker punch," Fred noted.

"I have a black eye?" Harry mumbled unenthusiastically as Silva jumped from Fred's shoulder to Harry's.

"That was Malfoy's fault," Hermione placed blame quickly as she snatched the pistol Draco was still holding. "And yours for bringing such a dangerous item into Hogwarts!"

"I suppose I deserve that," Harry agreed as he followed the twins to make their way out. Draco and Blaise made their way up to the front of the group following the twins closely so they would not become lost.

"What happened if there was a real bullet in here? You know that this can easily kill someone!" Hermione cried out.

Harry just turned to Hermione with a lazy look and took the gun away. Then, Harry flipped open the cylinder to dump out three remaining bullets. It was not in the usual metal casings Hermione had seen bullets in. Instead, it was something shaped like a bullet but made completely out of a solid transparent yellow substance. "There aren't any real bullets with gunpowder," Harry said quickly in his defense. "Just these magical bullets which fire a yellow ball. The most it will do is knock a person out."

"How are you sure there won't be a real bullet?" Hermione shot back.

"Because this six shot revolver was never made to fire real bullets," Harry replied. "Although the cylinder is made to fit .500 Magnum rounds, the hammer is designed not to create a spark, but a force to eject the magical bullet. If a real bullet was placed in, this gun would just misfire."

"I don't believe you," Hermione said skeptically.

"Very well, Hermione, I'll just have to prove it to you." From a small pocket on his vest, Harry pulled out a .500 S&W Magnum round and loaded it into the cylinder. With one motion, Harry flipped the cylinder shut before pulling the trigger continuously.

Hermione immediately jumped back and covered her ears, but nothing except the sound of clicking was heard. "So you were telling the truth," Hermione said as she watched Harry pull the trigger again and again without any effect. "But that doesn't explain how you were able to withstand the recoil. Draco was thrown back after firing one shot."

Harry pulled off his cloak revealing all the equipment and accessories he armed himself with. Pointing down at his belt, Harry explained, "Belt of Strength and Reinforcement. Draco didn't have one of these on now did he?"

"What happens if you take it off?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I'll probably fall over unconscious," Harry answered simply. "Although the belt boosts my strength, removing it will drain a bit of my strength away as my body would not be able to readjust quickly enough."

"Would you be able to still fire the gun and take the recoil?"

"No. I'd probably end up like Draco."

"So that means that whoever designed this gun made it at least as powerful as a regular .5 magnum pistol," Hermione deduced.

To this, Harry could not help but smile. "It was designed to fire magical bullets, some which are to subdue the target, others to kill."

"I don't remember ever reading about a wizard designing something like this," Hermione noted as she studied the pistol.

"Wizards don't use these weapons or make them," Harry told Hermione. "Hunters do."

"Hunters?"

"Bounty hunters," Harry began to explain in greater depth. "There are people traveling the world right now collecting bounties of dark creatures, magical beings and even wizards. This weapon was designed to penetrate any magical defense the target can conjure. Also, hunters who cannot use magic wear accessories like these rings, belt and vest when they pursue their prey."

"Don't you mean Muggles?" Hermione corrected.

"No. Muggles refer to humans. Usually. Humans aren't the only hunters in the world. Half-giants, vampires, werewolves, etc." Harry responded.

As Harry continued his conversation about Hunters and magical accessories, Draco leaned over to Blaise and said, "The two seem fairly close, don't they?"

"No. Harry is familiar with Hermione, but not the other way around," Blaise disagreed.

"How can you tell?" Draco asked as he studied the two. "They seem to get along just fine."

"I suppose they do, but it has a lot to do with Harry answering Hermione with information that leads Hermione to ask another," Blaise replied as she continued forward not paying attention to Harry and Hermione who were lagging behind.

"You know, I can't seem to recall Hermione ever asking someone else a question," Draco noted as he recalled his memories.

"She does, but not often and never by herself. Hermione usually has at least one of her four friends with her," Blaise told Draco. "She never really had a conversation with anyone, not even the four she hangs around all the time."

"Sounds like someone I know," Draco shot at Blaise with a wide grin.

"Careful, Draco Malfoy," Blaise warned. "You're treading on thin ice."

"As much as we would like to listen to the two of you flirt, your stop has come," George notified Draco and Blaise as Fred pushed open a trapdoor.

"Take that back, Weasley," Draco shot coldly. "Unlike with Blaise, I don't take kindly to your insults."

"I guess we should be careful the next time we catch you flirting then, right George?" Fred said naturally with a straight face.

Draco reached for his wand, but Blaise quickly stopped him. "They pulled us out of a nasty situation, so we could call it even, right, Draco?" Blaise said hoping to call a truce, even if it was temporary, between Draco and the twins.

"You're right," Draco answered grudgingly. "I'll let you off this time, Weasleys."

Draco and Blaise turned to face Harry and Hermione who had finally caught up while they were standing at the trapdoor. Draco was about to say something, but noticed that Harry was still in a deep conversation with Hermione and it didn't seem like it would end anytime soon. Not unless someone interrupts.

"You seem to know quite a bit about things not taught in class…" Hermione noticed. "Magical weapons, accessories, and armor that allow Muggles to fight wizards and witches on even ground. Hunters, magical creatures, immortals…"

"I can't sneak anything past you without catching your attention, now, can I?" Harry laughed. "Then again, you're not called the 'brightest witch' Hogwarts has seen in the past decade for nothing!"

"Isn't that Cho Chang?" Draco asked, entering the conversation.

Harry knew he had said something wrong the moment the words escaped his lips, but it was too late to take it back now. –What do I do now?- Harry cried telepathically to Silva.

-I don't know. We haven't actually been in a situation like this before…- Silva replied. –A memory alteration would work on Draco and Blaise, but we've already done it once on Hermione, so her previous memories might resurface.-

"What do you mean by "the 'brightest witch' Hogwarts has seen in the past decade"?" Hermione asked, pressuring Harry for an answer. "At best my performance so far has been mediocre and I hardly qualify given my background!"

_Background? _Harry wondered. _Oh, right. Hermione's an orphan…_ "Your background should not be a qualifying requirement to be called the 'brightest'."

"That still doesn't answer my question!" Hermione cried back, obviously disturbed that Harry would say something she herself did not believe in.

"Draco, I think we should exit," Blaise suggested in a whisper as she could see the conflict raging inside of Harry.

"Sorry, but now I'm curious as well," Draco replied. "The smartest students are always sorted into Ravenclaw, so why would the Sorting Hat not place Hermione there? Instead, it chose Gryffindor."

_Well, that's because it was upon my request that the Hat agreed… _Harry muttered in his mind. –Fred. George. Any suggestions or interruptions would be most welcome right now…-

-Sorry, Harry,- Fred spoke with a shrug.

-We haven't got the faintest clue of how to get you out of this one…- George followed.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out in a stern voice. "Why would you say that?"

As Harry looked into Hermione's eyes, he saw the same unyielding stare that made his knees weak in the past. Her voice was in the same bossy tone as the Hermione Harry knew his first time as a Hogwart's first year student. The way she stood was the same as well. And for a moment, Harry could see the Hermione of his past standing right next to the Hermione now. They both look the same with the long busy brown hair, deep brown eyes and the attitude of a pestering mother.

Harry was about to move forward when a familiar adult female voice spoke out a warning, "Harry, you must remember that you cannot make the people in the world now into the people we were in your past. That would be forcing them to be someone they aren't."

Harry turned around to look for the owner of the voice, but found no one there. It also seemed that no one else heard the voice except for him. Suddenly, he noticed that tears were streaming down his cheeks and there was a smile across his face. Yes, Harry missed the old Hermione. He missed her so much that he wanted Hermione to be the same person she once was, but that's not how things are suppose to be. Or maybe it is, but only time can tell.

"Are you alright, Potter?" Draco asked. "It looks like you're crying. Or did something just get in your eyes?"

"I'm sorry!" Hermione cried out in an apologetic tone as she spun around to walk out, but Harry quickly shot out his hand to grab her arm. Hermione turned to face Harry with a shy and frightened look, not know what to expect.

"I should be the one to say that, Hermione," Harry said as he wiped away his tears. "You asked a fair question and I haven't given you a fair answer. So I will. You were called that in a dream of mine."

"You're lying," Blaise, Draco and Hermione declared at the same time.

"Yes I am," Harry replied without trying to deny his actions. His past was hardly a dream, but they cannot know about it just yet. They still need to grow up a bit more. "One day, when I am ready, I'll tell the three of you the truth. Until that day, just think of things I say that don't match up with the world now as things I've seen in my dreams."

"What are you hiding?" Draco demanded quickly.

"A lot," Harry answered truthfully. "However, it is a personal matter. Fred. George. Make sure Draco and Blaise return to the Slytherin Dorm unseen. Then lead Hermione back to the Gryffindor tower."

"Of course," the twins answered in unison as they pulled out a map while Harry vanished down the secret corridor.

"Why are you two Weasleys listening to Potter?" Draco asked noticing that their behavior differs from their normal behavior. "You two never listen to anyone let alone someone younger and Potter _is_ the youngest of all of us."

Fred and George looked nervously at one another while silently saying, _Harry is far older than you think or even believe possible…_

"He's the son of one of our role models!" George answered quickly remembering the four names printed on the map they were holding.

"Son of the leader to be precise," Fred added, going along with George's excuse.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Draco asked.

"That coming from a Slytherin who hardly trusts anyone?" Fred shot back.

"You better get going," George said to Draco and Blaise. "There way is clear for the moment, but in a minute it'll be hard to sneak back unnoticed."

"We'll discuss this another time," Blaise said quickly while pressing her hand over Draco's mouth to shut him up. "Thanks, Fred and George. And tell Harry to stop being so secretive all the time. It'll be the end of him if he holds too many things inside of him."

"Will do," the twins voiced in unison before Blaise dragged Draco out and closed the trapdoor behind them.

"Now, let's get you back to the Gryffindor Tower," Fred said to Hermione as he checked the map.

"How can you trust a Slytherin let alone two or a Malfoy?" Hermione shot at the twins. "Won't they just stab you in the back?"

"Hermione, that's what trust is all about," George said with a smile.

"If you cannot trust someone else, they will never trust you in return," Fred continued.

"How do you know if they're trustworthy or not?" Hermione rephrased her questions.

"You don't," Fred answered truthfully.

"Trust is blind and so is justice," George added.

"But without blind trust or justice," Fred continued.

"The world as we know it would never be able to function," George finished.

"So you're just going to take a chance?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," the twins answered in unison.

"You need to have a little faith," George continued.

"And trust that Harry knows what he's doing," Fred added.

"As Harry trusts both Blaise and Draco," George picked up.

"And that Silva is as good as reading people," Fred finished.

"So stop worrying and do what you have to do, Hermione." The twins voiced in unison. "Life is too short to live it alone. This is why we need to build relationship and trust is the foundation of them all."

Seeing the logic in the twin's statements, Hermione could do nothing but back down. For now. She did not trust anyone much, as Hermione knew the pain of betrayal, but the words _Trust Harry _echoed in her mind, so Hermione decided she would try and take a chance again and hope for the best. "Wouldn't Harry need the map to get around?" Hermione asked curiously as the twins were checking the map feverously to figure out the correct path through the maze that was the secret corridors of Hogwarts.

"Nah," George answered. "Harry knows his way around Hogwarts like the back of his hand."

"How's that possible?" Hermione asked. "Few have ever explored all of Hogwarts."

"Well," the twins said in unison with a grin. "Harry's the son of one of the makers of this map."

* * *

Harry swung open the door into the Gryffindor Common Room and touched the ring on his right middle finger with his left hand. A thin, long rope whipped out and wrapped tightly around Kesthula binding him tightly. "Sorry, girls," Harry said quickly as he dragged Kesthula towards the stairs. "Kes and I have some family business to take care of. Urgent family business." 

Cries from all directions called for Harry to release Kesthula, but he ignored them. "Don't worry ladies! I'll be back before you know it! Nothing can stop me from returning to your sides!" Kesthula called out with glittering stars glowing around his face as he gave all the girls a seductive smile.

"My goodness!" a stern voice cried out calling everyone's attention. "I could year your racket from downstairs! What's the meaning of all this noise?"

Harry could recognize that tone and voice from a mile away. No doubt, Professor McGonagall had stepped into the common room. _Now how the hell am I going to explain this without McGonagall giving me a two hour lecture? _Harry asked himself nervously.

Minerva looked around the room and could see that it was filled with mostly girls ranging from first to seventh years. However, there was a boy in the room. _Potter._ Minerva noted. _I should have known. _"Mr. Potter, would you care to explain?"

"Well… um…" Harry began slowly trying to figure out what to say.

However, Harry never had time before Kesthula called out, "This voice! So stern and powerful! There is a strong tone of strictness but a hint of forgiveness. Lady Minerva McGonagall! Yes! Lady McGonagall, it's been a long time since we last spoke!" Immediately, Kesthula slipped out of the ropes that bound him. Then he produced a rose from his sleeve while elegantly making his way to Minerva before dropping down on one knee and saying, "My lady, I have missed your presence. It's me, Kessler, the man you met five years ago when you were in Germany!" Kesthula's face was surrounded by glowing stars again (and it seemed to have gotten brighter).

"Would you just SHUT the HELL up!" Harry screamed in fury as he leaped through the air and planted his foot into the side of Kesthula kicking the vampire away. "Do you have ANY idea of how much trouble you're causing?" Harry screamed as he shook Kesthula by the collar of his shirt.

"Yes, trouble." Minerva echoed which immediately froze Harry where he stood. "Mr. Potter, please escort this unwelcome guest from my sight. And tell your father and Sirius that should they ever let this man run wild, even for a second, I will personally see that all three of them will be spending a year in Azkaban." With those words, Minerva turned away and made her way to her office leaving the entire room in dead silence.

"Well, that went better than I expected!" Kesthula noted with a wide smile.

"Do you want me to duct tape your mouth shut?" Harry threatened as he used the ring on his right index finger to summon a roll of duct tape into his hands.

"No, no. I'll keep my mouth shut. The last few experiences still haunt me," Kesthula replied as Harry bound him again. This time Harry made sure Kesthula had no way of escape.

"You're still talking," Harry noted as he dragged Kesthula across the ground making sure that the vampire hit every obstacle in the way.

"Okay! Okay! I'll shut up! Just stop-" Kesthula never finished before Harry ripped out a piece of duct tape and slapped it across his mouth in one fluid motion. Harry grinned as he turned back around and dragged Kesthula again.

-You purposely provoked him, didn't you?- Silva noted.

-Damn right I did!- Harry replied proudly. –He's caused me enough trouble for one hour, I don't need a second.-

-You know this will swing your reputation the other way, don't you?- Silva added. –Considering you just pissed off half the female students of your House.-

-For now.- Harry countered.

-I don't think this would be temporary,- Silva argued.

-Yes it will. You don't know Kes like I do. He's one slippery bastard.- Harry replied as he went to open a door.

-That's not your room anymore.- Silva notified Harry just before he grabbed the handle. –Your room is at the end of the hall. Dumbledore moved you there a week and a half ago.-

-Isn't that room the one which has entrances to all the main secret corridors?- Harry asked just to make sure. He knew every room inside of Hogwarts save for the rooms inside the Room of Requirement. Harry was familiar with every inch of the school as he was one of the many wizards and witches that helped Gordic Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin build the magnificent castle.

-It is.- Silva answered. –It seems Dumbledore has no idea what he has done in giving you that room.-

-Nope.- Harry agreed as he walked through the door to his room. –No clue indeed.-

When Harry opened the door, he found a small bedroom that could fit a wardrobe, desk and bed. However, Harry knew there were seven secret doors hidden throughout the room which would take him to any of the main secret corridors that link all the passageways, secret or not, together.

-What have you set up in this room so far?- Harry asked Silva as he shut the door behind him.

-For starters, a protective shield to keep prying eyes from scrying or eavesdropping on us.- Silva started. –Next, there's switch to open a portal to your secret shelter beside your bed. Wards have been set to notify us of any unwanted guests heading towards this room as well as spells hiding all but your basic belongings when you want them to be hidden.-

-Thanks, Silva. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you,- Harry said as he rubbed his thumb on the bottom left post of his bed. A portal opened and Harry threw Kesthula through and quickly followed.

As Harry exited the portal, he quickly ripped off the duct tape that held Kesthula's mouth shut and asked, "What are you doing here, Kes? Have you forgotten why I sealed you up in the first place?"

"How can I forget?" Kesthula answered in a serious tone. "Without me, the seals holding the other six Lords of Havoc would fail."

"Then why are you out?" Harry repeated himself.

"Two reasons. One, someone has taken my shadow and body, thus breaking the seals you spent hours making and setting free the six whom you spilled quite a bit of blood to capture," Kesthula replied as he stood up on his feet and summoned a long rectangular wooden case. "And second, to return this sword to you."

"What makes you think I'll take it?" Harry asked as he looked at the wooden case. He knew exactly which sword was inside. There was only one sword Harry has ever given Kesthula and it was the one he never wanted to wield until he could forgive himself.

"Because if you don't wield it and become a Knight again, Voldemort _and _the Lords of Havoc will rain terror and destruction upon this world," Kesthula said in return. "There remain only three swords in existence that can harm and temporarily kill a Lord of Havoc."

"Impossible. The Viridian Order should still be around. It was their job in the first place! I only took care of it because they attacked Triteron!" Harry fought back, not wanting to accept the sword again.

"The Order is gone, Varhiskul," Kesthula said with a grave tone. "Every single one was either killed or turned. You are the last of that Order."

"I'm an Exile or have you forgotten?" Harry hissed as he shoved the box away and turned to leave.

"You exiled yourself, Harry," Silva said, entering the conversation. He took the form of a human adult with strong features and thick brown hair. "But either way, the Viridian Order is no more as are the Black Cross of Triteron and Golden Guards."

"Although it may seem impossible, but that's the reality of things," Kesthula said as he tried to pass the sword to Harry once more. "You are the only person alive with the experience and the power to stop them. Also, you are the only person who can wield the three remaining Runeblades. The two you wielded when you became a Viridian Knight still remains in the ruins of Atlantis. And this Runeblade, forged, crafted and enchanted by Amaris herself, lies sealed within this box as it has been since the day you sealed me away. I know what I am asking you, Varhiskul. You still haven't forgiven yourself, but it's time you do so."

"Yeah, son," the voice of James spoke from the stairway. "I don't know how I'd live with myself if I lost mom the way you lost Amaris, but I know that mom would want me to live on and not torment myself over something I had no control over."

"And I doubt she would ever want to see you without that sword," Sirius added. "Sounds like she put a lot of work into it so you could wield it."

"It was your sword, Harry," Silva told him, "and has always been. Only you are truly worthy of wielding that sword."

"You must learn to trust yourself once more, Varhiskul," Kesthula said as he continued to hold out the case.

"When you were The-Boy-Who-Lived, you had unwavering faith in yourself, Harry," his father said. "The events of your world ending coupled with the loss of Amaris have shaken your faith and you continue to question it. However, you have faith that everyone you meet will eventually realize their faults and fix them, even Neville. So believe us when we say that this time things will be different. Believe us when we say that you have the ability to save everyone's lives without fail. Place a bit of faith in our words and trust that things will work out the way you dreamed."

Harry looked around and could see in everyone's eyes that they wanted him to forgive himself. Hesitantly, Harry opened the case revealing a long two-handed sword. The blade was four and a half feet long and two inches wide. It curved at a slight angle and was dual edged with a double fuller cross-section which was uncommon for curved swords. It had a full tang with the grip fastened tightly around it. There was no guard or pummel attached and the entire sword was pure black. Only the scabbard was not as it had silver laced into intricate carvings.

As Harry looked at the sword, he could not help but remember what it was like having Amaris by his side. Then, he would remember how much it pained him for her to be gone. Still, Harry had to live and do what must be done to keep the world safe. Slowly, Harry reached for the scabbard and removed the sword from the case. Then, Harry drew the sword he once wielded so long ago. It was heavier than most swords its length and size, but all swords made from refined adamantine were.

Examining the engraved runes on the sides of the blade, Harry could remember watching Amaris as she forged the sword. Few in the world had the ability to forge a Runeblade and fewer could refine adamantine. There was not another Runeblade like the one Harry held in his right hand. He could also feel the magic flowing from the blade and into his body. It was all the magic Amaris weaved into the blade to provide Harry with an alternate source of infinite magical power should he be cut off from one source. However, the Runeblade was weakened as it no longer held the two saphire gems that were able to gather and produce magic for Harry to wield.

"Very well," Harry said as he sheathed the sword. With a new secondary magic source, Harry could wield more magic without having to be weary of rebounds. So, using his magic, Harry changed into James Evans and said to Silva, Kesthula, Sirius and his father, "We should return to Godric's Hollow. Frank Longbotton has turned up for a visit."

Everyone nodded in agreement before following Harry through a portal which had the word 'Home' written on the door.


	19. Past History

Chapter 19 – Past History

* * *

Frank Longbottom did not like to make house calls, but this was a special case. Few ever received personal visits from the Minister of Magic and even fewer received personal visits while he was on duty. This was a special case indeed. Frank did not even notify his assistant that he would return late to the office. Instead, he made a stop at Gringotts before coming to Godric's Hollows alone. No one was to know of his visit to the Potter. No one including his wife and son. Especially his wife and son. Perhaps Zavond and Dumbledore as well. 

As he approached the home of the Potters, Frank saw a figure standing outside waiting for him. _James? _Frank asked himself as he made out the figure in the distance. _I didn't notify anyone that I would be coming here… _

"Welcome to my humble home, Minister," James greeted when Frank approached. "What do I owe for the pleasure of such company?"

"Nothing," Frank answered quickly as he walked closer. "This was something I should have done a long time ago. May I come in? I hope I am not bothering you as this is a sudden visit."

"Of course, Minister," James replied as he opened the door letting Frank in.

"And James, just call me Frank," Frank told James as he walked into the home of the Potters.

"Hello, Frank," Lily greeted with a watchful eye. "You haven't visited us in ten years."

"A little over eleven, actually," Frank corrected. "The last time I visited was a month after Harry was born."

"Yes," James agreed. "Our history has always been complex, Frank. I don't see how you could possibly just ignore it and forget all of your hatred."

Frank looked from James to Lily and then back to James. Many years had he hated the couple for one single event. His hatred ran so deep that Frank had blinded himself to the simple truth. He knew Sirius and Remus were in the vicinity since the two had no where else to go because Frank's hatred had included them as well. However, as of recent years, the hatred Frank held of the family was turned towards himself. The wizarding world had always praised Frank for his exceptional leadership and abilities as Minister of Magic, however the way Frank had treated the Potters, Sirius and Remus over the years were far from that of a man who deserves such praise. Although Frank had been fair in treating the rest of the world, he had not given an unbiased treatment towards those living in the house he stood before now.

As Frank looked at the four adults, he wondered if they would forgive him for all the wrong he had done them in the past. Every time they tried to explain the misunderstanding that cause his hatred, Frank turned them away while every chance Frank got to cause them harm he took. Looking back on his actions, Frank knew if he was standing in their shoes, he would not forgive himself. This was why Frank never came. He was afraid that he was beyond forgiveness, but without asking for it, Frank knew that he would never receive it. And with one more glance at the four who had once been his friends, Frank thought back on the event that caused the split.

* * *

Frank paced back and forth across the floor of his home's living room. Alice sat nervously on the couch against the wall holding her wand and constantly glancing at the entrances into their home. It was Halloween of 1981 and just hours ago Frank received word that their location had been compromised. Following the advice of James Potter, Frank and Alice returned to their homes in hopes to throw off their pursuers while Neville was relocated into a secondary secure location. 

But that was hours ago and Frank should have received a report from Dumbledore already. That was unless something- No. Frank refused to finish his thought as he continued to pace back and forth. After a few more rounds, Frank walked over to the window and pulled away the blinds to look outside. As the sun receded down the horizon, Frank could see the ever present mark of the Dark Lord grow brighter.

Frank was about to turn away when another went up into the sky. Then another. Before Frank stepped away from his window, he counted seven Dark Marks burned into the clouds above. Just when Frank turned away from the window, a knocking was heard at the door. Alice's eyes darted toward the door as Frank froze in place. Their eyes met for a moment while fear and worry wrapped tightly around their bodies. Not know what would happen next, Frank paced slowly towards his front door while Alice stood up from her seat and readied her wand.

However, the tension was broken when the couple heard the familiar voice of Dumbledore call out, "Frank! Alice! Please open your front door. I have some important business to discuss with you."

Lowering his wand, Frank moved to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Dumbledore stood before the entrance of his home. Immediately, Frank noticed that his son was in the wizard's arms. Neville was sucking on his thumb and resting peacefully. However, on Neville's forehead was a lightning shaped scar and on his left arm was a mark he knew so very well.

"What happen?" Frank croaked in a weak voice.

"As James had suspected, the primary locations were compromised," Dumbledore answered. "However, we did not expect the secondary locations to be compromised as well."

Frank looked down at his son as he took Neville from Dumbledore's arms. One question ran through his mind, but he was afraid to ask. Yet, Frank knew he should. "What of the others?"

"I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but they're all dead," Dumbledore replied with the sincerest of tones.

"What about the Potters?" Frank asked in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"We're still alive," the voice of James Potter spoke. With him was Lily who carried Harry in her arms. Behind the couple were Sirius and Remus who carried a body with them.

"Why are you all alive when the ones in my family died?" Alice shouted as she finally broke down. "WHY? WHY ARE WE THE ONES TO SUFFER?"

"Yes, why are we the ones to suffer?" Frank asked as his eyes turned cold. "That's my brother, Steve, Sirius and Remus is carrying, isn't it?"

"I killed him," James replied bluntly as he used a levitation spell to carry the brother of Frank Longbottom before him.

The two looked nothing like one another. Where Frank had strong facial features, Steve had a round face. Frank was tall, muscular and lean while Steve was short round and fat. As Frank studied the corpse of his brother, he noticed the left arm was missing.

"Is this how he died?" Frank asked.

"No," James answered. "I snapped his neck. His arm was cut off so we could retrieve his body as it was crush-"

"Enough!" Frank shouted as he raised his wand. "For the murder of Steve Longbottom, I condemn you to death!"

But before Frank could make a move, a team of ten Aurors Apparated between him and James. They easily disarmed Frank and began to wrap the body of the deceased.

"What's going on?" Frank demanded, but none of the Aurors answered.

"Where was Steve Longbottom found?" the head Auror asked James.

"I killed him in my residence," James replied.

"It was in self defense," the Auror stated. "You will not be charged with murder. What happened to his left arm?"

"It was crushed beneath the debris," James answered. "To retrieve the body, I had to sever his arm."

"Very well. I expect a full report on my desk when you return to duty, James Potter," the head Auror said as she rallied the other nine to carry off the body.

"Wait a minute!" Frank shouted as he stomped forward to the head Auror. He shot out a free hand and grasped her collar pulling her up to him. "Care to explain why you are taking away the body of my dead brother? Or why you waved James off for killing my brother as self defense without an investigation?"

"Frank, I suggest you let this go for now," James said, trying to calm Frank down.

"NO!" Frank shouted. "I want some answers!"

"Fine, Frank. Here's why," the head Auror gave in. "Because we have reason to suspect your brother was a Death Eater and he was the one who gave up your primary and secondary locations as well as the locations for the Potters."

"What? How? He was not the secret keeper!" Frank shouted in defense of his brother.

"This is why we need his body. We hope to find conclusive evidence to support our suspicions," the head Auror answered.

"Steve is no Death Eater!" Alice shouted from the house. "If there's anyone who should be investigated for giving up our locations, it should be the Potters! Not a single one of them died! They were the ones who suggested that we go to another location and look where it got us? Our entire family was killed with Neville being the sole survivor. I bet it was the Potters who set us up! They knew that 'He' would attack and sent Neville there as bait to save their own skin and their squib child!"

"Do you-" the head Auror started, but Dumbledore quickly intervened and cut her off.

"That's enough!" Dumbledore commanded. "Frank, Alice, I suggest the two of you return back to your home and take a break from the world. You may not have heard the news, but Neville survived the Killing Curse and destroyed Voldemort. Your son is a hero, Frank, Alice."

"Don't think this is over, James," Frank promised. "I will find the truth one day, and when that time comes, you will pay for your crimes."

* * *

Five years had passed since the day James Potter brought the body of his dead brother to the steps of his home. Frank never forgot that day as it was burned into his mind as was his hatred for the Potters burned into his heart. It took two months for Frank to replace the former head of the Auror division. When he became the head Auror, Frank tracked down and identified well over four hundred Death Eaters with the aid of the Dark Mark on Neville's arm. During the seven month period, Frank restructured the Auror division making it into a complete military strike force effective for guerilla, numbers or power warfare. 

The Death Eaters were powerless against Frank's new wave of Aurors. However, those higher up in the chain were still able to roam freely as they quickly found a way to mask their Dark Mark to avoid detection. One of them was Lucius Malfoy. Frank loathed the man, but there was nothing he could do as there was no way to prove that Lucius was a Death Eater.

Eleven months after Frank became head of the Auror division, he was elected to become the next Minister of Magic. His career as minister started with the reconstruction of the walls surrounding Azkaban. This would allow the wizarding community to stop relying upon Dementors to keep the prisoners inside the walls of the prison. To build the walls, Frank negotiated with the dwarfs living deep under the Alps for their aid in constructing impenetrable walls with their excellent skill in masonry and runes.

During the construction of the walls, Frank traveled across the English Channel to find land where dwarves could grow their crops without running into any humans. To accomplish this, Frank called a conference with the leaders of the countries bordering the Alps to create regions where dwarves could cultivate crops without disturbances from Muggles living in the area. When the wall was finished, the dwarves were able to return to their home with land to cultivate crops without meeting humans.

Next, Frank began construction of a memorial dedicated to all those who perished in the war against Voldemort. This time, Frank called upon the aid of Muggle designers to create a model of the monument. When they finished designing, Frank decided that it was unfair for families outside the wizarding community to not know how loved ones died. So Frank negotiated with the Prime Minister of England to set up a way for Muggles to visit the memorial where Frank had the names of Muggles who died carved on as well.

For his next large project, Frank reorganized the chain of command in how things were run inside the Ministry to create a more efficient system. He did so by removing all the message runners and had everyone report directly to their immediate superiors. Documents were sorted by one department and every other department gave and received documents from people of the document's department.

To make communication more efficient, Frank introduced a new system of communication he thought of while spending time with Muggles. Similar to telephones with an ear piece and microphone, Frank created a magical object to transmit sound across a distance with the help of the goblins and house elves. It was structured as an earpiece that hooked over the ear. To activate it, one would speak "Clamati" followed by the name of the person one wished to contact. Upon activation, a speaker would extend from the earpiece and the conversation was kept quite unless the caster wished for a more public conversation. Currently, Frank had been working on introducing this form of communication to the wizarding community, but was not well received due to the fact that the idea originated from Muggles.

During the time Frank had been Minister, he would place any extra resources he may have to search for the truth behind the death of his brother. At first, Frank just wanted to know the truth. But once he started digging, Frank began to realize that the truth was buried so deep that even the previous investigators could not dig up. Soon, it became Frank's obsession as he juggled his projects with solving the mystery behind his brother's death.

It consumed him so greatly that in recent months, Frank had been in his office around the clock. However, Frank finally decoded a hint that had been right in front of him the entire time. The Potters home which Steve was killed at had not been investigated nor touched since that day. And now Frank stood at the ruins of what used to be a grand mansion.

As Frank removed the debris, he could tell that the collapse of the mansion was not collateral damage of a battle, but intentionally made. There was also a marked path made for Frank telling him which direction to go. When he reached his destination, Frank found a cellar door with an X marked on it. Slowly, Frank opened it and found the one piece that would make everything make sense.

Inside the cellar was a large cube of ice. Frozen in it was an arm. A left arm to be exact and Frank knew it belonged to his brother. Frank reached over and touched the ice. Suddenly memories began to flow into his mind. It was memories of his brother which were not present when the Aurors were investigating his death all those years ago.

What it showed Frank was something he wished never to be true. As the memories played, Frank struggled to look down at the arm. And there he found proof to deny his wish. The Dark Mark was tattooed into the arm. Giving up hope that his brother had not betrayed him, Frank let the memories play freely. There he saw Steve join Voldemort before Frank had gone into hiding. To extract the information, Steve allowed Voldemort to pry into his mind as only the Secret Keeper could speak the secret.

When Voldemort had the locations, he chose to go after Neville and sent Steve after the Potters. When Steve arrived, the Potters were ready and ambushed him; however they were not prepared to find out that a familiar face that they had considered a friend would lie under the mask. So, to cover up what Steve had done, Sirius severed the right arm while Remus extracted the memories. Lily prepared the spell to encase the arm in ice while James sealed it away in such a way that only Frank would find it.

At the end of the memories, Frank saw James standing before the ruins of his ancestral home with Lily holding Harry to his right while Sirius and Remus stood to his left. "I'm sorry, Frank," James began in a sincerely apologetic tone, "I wish it didn't have to end this way, but we killed Steve before we even knew it was him. However, should the world find out what Steve had done, you would be forever shunned. As of now, you should be the father of the heroic Boy Who Lived, and I do not wish to have this tarnish your name. You're a good man, Frank, and one day you'll make an excellent leader. Teach Neville well and show him how to become a hero, Frank. That is all I ask of other than your forgiveness. If you cannot forgive us for what we have done, then that's fine too. We will be paying the price of keeping this a secret for the rest of our lives. Goodbye Frank. I only wish we could still be friends."

When the message ended, Frank fell to the ground, frozen in shock. He could not even cry as he realized how much wrong he had done the Potters over the past five years. Frank, a good man? Hardly. Not when he had so cruelly made the Potters' life a living hell. They were better humans than he could ever be.

* * *

"What would be so important that you would break your eleven year streak and come to our home out of the blue?" James asked, breaking Frank away from his memories. 

"As you probably already know, James, Zavond has begun to gain influence with Dumbledore, Alice and Neville," Frank started.

"Who's Zavond?" Lily asked.

"A man who suddenly appeared before my home seven years ago beside Dumbledore. He had a child with him who now attends Durmstrang. As for who he really is, I do not know," Frank replied.

"If this is about a power struggle or your wife having an affair, you can leave now," Lily said impatiently.

"No, I am quite certain Alice is not having an affair," Frank replied as he tapped his wedding ring. Magic was woven into all wedding rings such that an affair would break the ring of the betrothed. "As for a power struggle, I do not wish to find myself in one again. If someone comes along who can do a better job than I can or if the people choose to elect another Minister, I would gladly step down myself."

"I doubt anyone can match your record of how many Death Eaters you have caught and sentenced," James said. "Or how you reestablished the Auror branch of the Ministry as new force dark wizards everywhere fear even more than the Order. Not to mention the walls of Azkaban, Memorial for those who perished or crop lands for the dwarves."

"Yes, it is hard to match my achievements," Frank admitted modestly. "However, I am seeing for the first time how much I have neglected my family due to how much time I spend as the Minister of Magic to keep the wizarding world in order."

"That's something no one would disagree on," Remus said as he joined the conversation with Sirius. "Every witch and wizard know how much more devoted you are to your job than your family."

"But still, that doesn't tell us why you are here," Sirius stated.

"Can we sit down?" Frank requested.

"The dining table is cleared," Lily said as she led them all into the dining room. "Have a seat."

As Frank sat down, he waved his wand conjuring a large folder. He opened it to the second section where he pulled out a few documents before closing the folder. "This is classified information that even the Unspeakables don't know about. Here you will find a comprehensive list of suspected Death Eaters activities in the past two years as well as the number of new dark creatures discovered to be roaming around."

James studied the documents and found that he recognized half of the creatures listed. He had encountered them on the many assignments he was sent on by the Ministry when they didn't want to lose someone else. Sirius and Remus were there on the assignments as well, but not all of them. "What are we suppose to make of this?" James asked.

"The frequency is increasing, isn't it?" Lily asked as she studied the figures. "Suspected Death Eaters are meeting more frequently as new and deadlier dark creatures are appearing all across Europe."

"Yes," Frank answered. "It seems that 'He' is returning, but not without help from people believed to be long dead."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"As a werewolf, Remus, you must know the ancient legends," Frank said in response.

"A few, yes," Remus replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you know about the Lords of Havoc?" Frank questioned.

"Lords of Havoc…" Remus repeated as he searched through his memory. "Yes. There were seven, each from a different race. Vampire, werewolf, centaur, giant, goblins, trolls and human."

"A human lich to be precise. A wizard who delved deeper into what we now know as the Dark Arts than even 'Him'. The wizard created a phylactery to bind his spirit to the material world thus becoming partially immortal as if his body was destroyed, his soul would return to the phylactery and construct a new body." Frank said as he produced another folder containing information on the seven Remus spoke about. "Kesthula, Ragoth, Almanar, Ordec, Glimick, Parus and Benrodyr. In the order of first to seventh and their race is respective to the order you listed them."

"There is no conclusive evidence that they were real," Remus stated as he studied all the files as did Lily who came to the same conclusion. "These are just facts gathered from pieces of legends!"

Sirius and James glanced at one another as they knew how real the legends were. They also knew about Kesthula and chose not to introduce him because Remus had told them a few of legends pertaining to the Lords of Havoc when they were younger. All of them spoke of Kesthula being a cruel and vicious killer, not an idiotic womanizer who would try and court any humanoid female that crosses his path. Choosing the name Kessler, which allowed the two to continue and call Kesthula by Kes, Sirius and James introduced the vampire as a human who was unfortunate enough to have been caught in an unknown spell. Sirius was foolish at the time and accidentally bound Kesthula to his shadow allowing the two to switch control over the body or letting Kesthula use Sirius' or anyone else's shadow to create a body of his own.

"That is because they were presumed dead tens of thousands of years ago. They existed before the first modern civilization appeared on Earth," Frank explained. "In fact, they existed before the human species as we know it existed."

"If they're dead, then why are you showing this to us?" Lily asked. "And if they weren't of our species, then what were they?"

"To answer your second question, I have no idea. Fossils and artifacts were never discovered to prove the existence of humanoids similar in shape and form to how we are today. Now, to answer your former question, that is because I have come to believe that they have never died," Frank answered before taking out one last document and passing it around. "There was a person who is said to have hunted the seven lords. The legends indicate that the seven was captured by this man, but it does not tell of their deaths. As for the person who captured them, he's a legend among legends; the famous bounty hunter Varhiskul Romana. I had to search the records of the demon archives to find what little information listed there."

"It states he has lived for well over thirty thousand years!" Sirius cried out as he read the numbers. "How's that even possible?"

"A vampire could," Frank offered an explanation, "but he was not a vampire or werewolf or undead or ageless creature. Varhiskul Romana was human and I have come to believe that he is still alive and living among us as we speak."

"What makes you think that?" James asked, a bit worried that Frank may have come across some information about Harry no one should know about yet.

"I believe that this Varhiskul Romana is a time traveler," Frank explained. "He has shown up in various eras to hunt and sometimes kill dark creatures and wizards alike. Although the name Varhiskul Romana has never shown up, there are stories of heroes who do extraordinary feats such as Vincent the Blind, Raven Blackmage, Roland Darkblade, Eboril the Shadow, the Obsidian Knight and many others listed on that document. And as you can see, they were all able to use wandless magic and each name has appeared in multiple time eras. The most recent name added to the list is James Evans."

"I don't know anyone in my family who can use magic aside from me," Lily stated as she studied the document on Varhiskul Romana while recalling all the stories of the listed heroes. "And besides, there isn't record of anyone capable of using wandless magic."

"No, there isn't. However, while you may not have any affiliations with James Evans, he has a connection with the two of you. If not, he would not choose to use your names," Frank reasoned.

"Or I may have just liked the sound of James Evans," a new voice entered the conversation causing everyone to jump out of their seats. "Hello, Minister Frank Longbottom. James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, I apologize for startling all of you, but you have nothing to fear from me."

Frank turned to see a man dressed in all black with a shaved head, deep black eyes and a piece of cloth covering the bottom half of his face. On his left side, he wore a long black scabbard lined with silver engravings and a sword with a black grip. Beside him stood another man dressed in a similar fashion, but had blue eyes and brown hair. Behind the two stood a third figure, but Frank could not make out who it was.

"Are you James Evans?" Frank asked.

"I am," Harry replied, but made no move to enter the room any further.

"And who are the people standing next to you?" Frank followed with a second question. "I have been told that you travel alone."

"Your sources are incorrect. They assumed I was alone because I was the only one at the scene," Harry corrected. "The man standing beside me is called Salvatore. As for the man standing behind the two of us, his identity will remain secret until I have heard the information you have collected."

"Fair enough," Frank agreed. He needed the help of James Evans and he was not about to push his luck any more than he has to.

-What are you planning, Harry?- James asked his son through the telepathic link Silva created.

-Frank knows Kesthula as Kessler, so holding him back wouldn't serve much of a purpose.- Sirius stated.

-Trust me, I know what I'm doing.- Harry replied with confidence.

-Or you think you do.- Silva shot quickly. Harry was about to shoot a come back, but decided the task at hand was more important.

"You have been searching for me for the past two weeks. It must have been a desperate move on your part to seek out the help of the Potters," Harry noted as he remained where he stood.

"Partially, yes," Frank replied. "Another part was to ask for their forgiveness and repay James, Sirius and Remus for all the pay deductions I have made in the past."

"Why should we believe that?" Sirius hissed quickly.

"Trust," Harry spoke catching everyone's attention. Harry never despised the man as he had not personally lived in this world with Frank. And although Harry did pull a prank on the man when they first met, he did not have the ability then to peer into the mind of Frank as he did now. But Harry didn't need to peer into the man's mind to know his sincerity. "Trust is the foundation of all relationships. Frank Longbottom is standing before all of you as a normal man and at your mercy. You may not choose to forgive him, but if a person wishes for redemption, who are we to not give them a chance?"

"Who are we indeed," James agreed with his son. "I will trust you for now, Frank, because you seem like you sincerely wish for our forgiveness. But I will be dealing with you alone. No middlemen."

"I understand," Frank replied agreeing with the terms. "I will not send someone on my behalf as the material I possess and am showing you now are of the utmost secrecy. Aside from the people in this room, no one knows the extent of intelligence I have gathered and pieced together. The entire world is oblivious to these events and this is why I need your help, James Potter and yours as well, James Evans."

"You've sent my husband from one suicide mission to another," Lily cried out in fury, "Why should I let you send him on another?"

"Because James Potter is the only man with the experience to combat these unnatural occurrences as is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin," Frank answered reasonably.

"So you're going to order him to risk his life day after day and have me worried sick about whether or not he will return?" Lily cried out. "You come here asking for forgiveness yet you wish to send my husband on an assignment with a high mortality rate! We have a family now for Merlin's sake! Harry just entered Hogwarts, Alex and Chris have just turned eight while Emily and Amber turned five! You want to take their father away from them?"

"No," Frank replied calmly. "This is why I was searching for James Evans. You husband has the experience and knowledge of how to deal with these events while James Evans has the necessary power to control it. If you agree, James Potter, you will hand your experience and knowledge of these occurrences as well as how to deal with them to James Evans."

"So my husband will not be in mortal danger?" Lily asked quickly.

"Danger is always lurking around every corner, Lily," Frank answered honestly. "As I have stated before, 'He' is returning and we are about to find ourselves in troubled times again. I will not send James onto any more life threatening missions as I am transferring him to a desk job inside the Ministry. But that is the safest I can promise you."

"You're more realistic than I remember you," Remus stated.

"The events of the past ten years have made me a changed man," Frank answered.

"Yes, the past ten years have changed a lot of us," James agreed. "But this all started long before the events that happened ten years ago."

"Yes," Frank concurred. "War can change even the best of men."

Immediately, James looked into the eyes of his son whom no one, except for Sirius, knew that Harry James Potter _is _James Evans. _War can change even the best of men… _He repeated Frank's words in his mind as he looked at his son. "I am willing to teach you all that I know, James," James said to his son, "But are you willing to enter a war that may not be yours to fight?"

Harry looked at his father and knew the there was a deeper meaning to that question. James was asking Harry if he was ready. Ready for war. Ready to fight and kill. Ready to watch people he know die if he was not powerful enough to protect them. And most of all has Harry begun to stop doubting himself? "I am here in this time because this is a war I must fight. Voldemort is my target and none will stop me from ending his life with my hands."

Everyone in the room except for Harry, Silva and Kesthula shuddered at the mention of 'Voldemort'. Harry had never been one to use "You Know Who" or "He Who Must Not Be Named" and he won't start using it. He feared not Voldemort as Harry defeated him once before. Instead, Voldemort should fear his name as Harry will one day kill Voldemort without mercy, the same way Voldemort killed so many others.

"Very well," Frank said. "As we now have come to an agreement, I will explain further to why I wish for your aid. I have discovered that 'He' is lurking somewhere in the walls of Hogwarts; although I have no solid proof, it is clear that someone has been drinking the blood of a unicorn. I can only assume 'He' is the only one in need of it. As for the person helping 'Him' conceal himself along with providing 'Him' with soldiers called 'Shadow Fiends'. They are impossible to trace and even harder to detect, so I cannot say where they are coming from. However, I believe the one helping 'Him' hide and controlling the Shadow Fiends is the former vampire king, Kesthula and the First Lord of Havoc."

"That last statement, I must disagree on," a new voice spoke as the figure standing behind Harry and Silva, in his chosen human form, walked forward into the room. "Kesthula is not the one concealing Voldemort because I am standing right here."

"Aren't you Kessler, the man I met on one of my trips to Germany?" Frank asked, recognizing the person who walked out as did Lily and Remus.

"Well, I didn't want to use the name Kesthula at the time. I was in Germany and courting German women. Kesthula hardly sounded German so I opted to take on a Germ-" Kesthula stopped in mid sentence as a black blade came dangerously close to his neck. "Right, right, get to the point… Now, there's obviously no way I can present to you solid proof of who I say I am, but James Potter and Sirius Black, who I now share a body with because of some unfortunate events, can bring you back to the place where they found me almost eleven years ago."

"Frank, that is indeed Kesthula," James told the Minister. "Inscriptions on the tomb can prove it. That's why we call him Kes all the time."

"He can also recount the true history of the Lords of Havoc if he is indeed Kesthula," Sirius added. "You can, can't you, Kes?"

"I could tell you how the war began and how it destroyed Triteron," Kesthula answered. "However, I do not know how the war ended or how I was to be known as a Lord of Havoc."

"Well, suppose you are who you say you are; then who is aiding 'Him' then?" Frank questioned.

"You got me there," Kesthula answered truthfully. "All I know is that someone has taken both my body and shadow which contains half of my power. As for who, I don't know."

"How were the other Lords captured and sealed along with you?" Frank asked in quick succession.

"Well, after the destruction of Triteron, I knew the only way to stop the other six was to create a seal that could be forever sustained. That would require that I become sealed as well. I went to my old friend, Varhiskul, and asked him to capture the six and create a seal to imprison us," Kesthula replied.

"Why weren't they just killed?" Lily asked the question everyone had at the back of their throats.

"I'm not-" Kesthula began, but Harry quickly stepped in.

"Because they can only be killed by those who wear the Ouroboros Bracelets," Harry answered. "Those who were able to wear them were killed before news of the rise of the Lords of Havoc spread."

"What's this bracelet and why would it be necessary to kill them?" Remus asked, curious as to why the legends had not spoken of it.

"The Ouroboros Bracelet is an artifact of an ancient war. This was used as a weapon to strip a spirit from a person's body and destroy it completely. It will erase all traces of the spirit and make sure that the person can never return in any shape or form or even be reborn," Harry explained. "There were seven Lords of Havoc in the war, but only six were present. One remained hidden in the shadows. At the end of the war, the six were captured and sealed away, but the seventh was never found. Fearing that if the world learned that one of the Lords of Havoc was still loose would cause global unrest, it was decided that Kesthula be named the first Lord of Havoc thus completing the seven."

"To know all of this would mean I was correct in assuming that you once called yourself Varhiskul Romana," Frank said to Harry.

"I never called myself that name," Harry replied without hesitation. He had misjudged Frank when they first met, but Harry knew exactly why the Minister had such a bitter face when looking at Harry's family. Not so much bitterness against his parents, Remus and Sirius, but bitterness towards himself for not realizing that they had done Frank a favor. "Kesthula gave it to me and people started to call me that. That is how Varhiskul Romana became a legend."

"Then who are you, really?" Lily asked, full of curiosity. She sensed that the man before her was very familiar, but could not quite put her finger on who Varhiskul or James or whatever he was called reminded her of.

Sensing that Lily was reading deeper than Harry wanted her to be at the moment, James quickly said to his son, "I must agree, Lily. He does look familiar. Perhaps he's a grown up version of Harry!"

Lily glared at her husband with profound disbelief. "How could Harry grow up in such a short amount of time? A few months ago Harry had just discovered he had magic. Even if he was a time traveler, I doubt Harry could live tens of thousands of years."

To those words, Sirius and James let out a silent sigh of relief as it was a gamble to say those words. However, it played out nicely as Lily has now ruled out her son as the person standing before her. What she did not know was that it was Harry and he had purposely hid this from her so she would not worry about him.

Harry just smiled before saying, "When you are ready to know, I will tell you. However, before I became Varhiskul Romana, I was called the Nameless One. I had a true name in the past, but I gave up that name for personal reasons. So, if you are asking for my name, then you can just call me Varhiskul to avoid confusion with James."

"You didn't have to tell people who you really were, Var," Kesthula said to Harry.

"No, but the truth is welcome at times like these," Frank said with a harsh voice. "We've created too many lies to keep the world peaceful. Unraveling them all would cause unwanted chaos so the fewer new lies we make, the better."

"Well spoken, Frank," James praised. "What we are building here is a foundation for an era of true peace. Truth must be at the core of this foundation as without it this will not hold together. Let this be a new beginning for us, Frank."

"Yes, that would be nice," Frank agreed. "Now that we have ruled out Kesthula as a Lord of Havoc, who is the one that is helping 'Him'?"

Harry, Silva and Kesthula turned their heads to face north and remained silent for a moment. Then, Harry said, "It's the true Seventh Lord of Havoc, whoever it is. I fear he's heading back to Hogwarts. I must go now. Do not seek me out. Should you ever need me, I will seek you out." With those words, Harry, Silva and Kesthula disappeared from sight.

* * *


	20. Gaining Strength

Chapter 20 – Gaining Strength

* * *

Hermione sat alone in the library as she tried to search for the means to produce the magical bullet she had watched Harry fire hours ago. She was so focused on her research that Hermione did not even notice that supper had passed. Although Hermione had not been able to find concrete evidence or explanations after hours of searching, she was content with everything she was learning. 

It was once theorized that if magical energy could be condensed to form even greater magical spells, however that theory was disproved during the tenth century when the Germans used twelve wizards to fill a room with magic and try to condense it. It was proven that magical energy could not be condensed in any manner as it did not exist the way conventional energy and matter existed. Thus leading to the experimentations to examine what magical energy consisted of. However, even after centuries of experimentation, all the wizards could prove was that magical energy had no mass. It was not affected by gravity because it had no mass for gravity to act on and magical energy was not affected by air friction, thus can move continuously at the constant speed equal to its initial speed. It can only be stopped by something solid. Magical energy could pass through all liquids and gases.

Seeing that researching the condensing of magical energy was a dead end, Hermione proceeded to research how to make magical energy bounce off a target. Again, Hermione reached a dead end as the books containing the information she needed was stored in the Restricted Area. Hermione let out a deep sigh as she rested her head down on the table. The books were still spread across, but in an orderly fashion so it was easy to clean up.

_Condensed magical energy was used to create the bullet, _Hermione repeated in her head the things Harry said to explain the theory behind his revolver. _A thin magical layer used to create the casing as well as to substitute for gunpowder. The hammer is enchanted to create a magnetic repulsion to send the bullet forward initially. Engraved inside the barrel were magnetic runes to increase the velocity as well as create a spin for precision._

Taking out a sheet of parchment and a quill, Hermione sketched out the pistol and noted were magic was used. The hammer, bullet and barrel. The trigger remained a mechanical device to draw back the hammer. Below the sketch, Hermione wrote down all the physical properties and general physic theories behind the magical pistol.

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction," Hermione said Newton's theory aloud. With the quill, Hermione linked this theory to the magnetic propulsion and recoil. Then she added on the theory about magical energy having no mass as well as the ability to move at a constant speed until something solid blocks it. Hermione quickly noticed that these two theories contradicted what the pistol Harry was carrying had done. The barrel was able to accelerate magical energy to speeds greater than the average speed of any spell. The bullet was also able to bounce off a solid surface and slam into another object with force.

Few spells existed that could exert force upon an object. If several casters use Stupefy on a target with low magic resistance, the target would be blown back. The Impediment Jinx could be used to push back a target. However, none of these spells had magical energy that had any mass. Instead, these spells could only reverse the force of the target or use the mass of the target to create a force.

This time, Hermione was truly frustrated as nothing made sense. Perhaps she was too young to understand, but nothing Hermione had seen Harry do matched anything she had seen or read of the wizarding world. Hermione quickly picked up her bag when she noticed the corner of a picture she had made weeks ago. As she pulled it out, Hermione saw the image she created of James Evans from her memory. It was then Hermione realized that she had seen such phenomenon before.

The black cloud that hid James from everyone's eyes; even Hermione's. She only saw a black and slightly transparent cloud moving that night. Later, Hermione saw magic flow from James' hand and take on physical forms that tore holes into creatures called Shadow Fiends. James was also able to use his magic to extend the sword he carried according to his will, rather than having an object scale in length, width and height uniformly. Magic had been said to be unable to take physical form after touching a solid object, yet the magic James wielded contradicted all the laws written for magic.

Similar to James' ability to store magic and keep a physical form, the pistol Harry had also stored magical energy condensed to form the shape of a bullet. In addition, magic was used to fire the gun in place of gunpowder. Somehow, Hermione knew that James was connected to Harry in some way. Having the surname of Evans only strengthened her conviction as it could explain how Harry was able to get magical equipment that seemed to break the foundations of magic Hermione had been taught.

As Hermione closed the last of her books, giving up on attempting to find evidence to explain the strange occurrences in the books she had access to, she pulled out her next assignment from Professor Snape. The assignment was to find the ingredients and process of making a Boil Cure Potion as the Professor had stated that they would be making it in the next session of class. When Hermione pulled out her potion books, someone pulled the chair next to her back and sat down. It startled her for a moment as Hermione quickly turned to see whom it was and found Lavender sitting next to her pulling out her books as well.

"Jeez, Hermione," Lavender began while Pavarti, Vicky and Demelza took seats next to the two. "You're so engrossed in studying sometimes that you don't even notice when people approach."

"Sorry…" Hermione apologized quickly in a quite voice while lowering her head.

"And stop apologizing all the time, Hermione," Pavarti said as she turned to face Hermione. "Especially when you haven't done anything wrong."

"By the way," Vicky spoke catching Hermione's attention. "There are a few guys who want to form a study group with us."

As Hermione looked up, she saw Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus taking seats across from her. She quickly shot a look at Lavender who ignored her by starting a conversation with Dean. Looking past Lavender, Hermione noticed that everyone sitting at the table was prepared to work on Professor Snape's assignment, just as she was.

"You're not escaping this time," Demelza whispered to Hermione as she walked past to search the library for more books on the ingredients of a Boil Cure Potion.

"I know this may be weird for you, Hermione," Neville began, "but I'm sorry for the way I acted that day in class when you were just trying to show me how to perform the Levitation Charm. Although I hate to admit it, but I was wrong that day. So, if you are willing, could we start over?"

Hermione remained silent, as she did not know what to do. Neville was the one who did not want anyone talking to Harry as well as the one who yelled at her when she corrected him. He later apologized, and although Hermione was willing to forgive Neville, she was not the forgetful type. The damage inflicted was still there and fresh in her mind, which was why Hermione had avoided Neville as much as she could. However, she knew she could not get away from Neville or his friends this time around. Not with Lavender, Pavarti, Vicky and Demelza keeping her here.

Hermione took a deep breath and summoned all the courage she could muster. "Okay," Hermione agreed hesitantly. This was all new for her as when she lived in the orphanage, few of the children there befriended her. Instead, they teased her because she had always been the one to catch on first whenever the adults taught them about magic (as all the children at the orphanage were offspring of witches and wizards). However, Hermione always hoped that one-day things would be different. Perhaps today was the day. "What do you need help on?"

"The Boil Cure Potion," Neville answered quickly. "We've read through the material Snape-"

"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected instinctively only to quickly slap her hands over her mouth realizing she was being offensive. "I'm sorry!"

"Miss Granger is quite right," a snide voice spoke from the shadow as Severus walked out from the shadows with silent footsteps. Behind him were Draco and Blaise who frowned at the group. Hermione could not tell if their frowns were of disbelief or of caution. "I was surprised to hear you were able to garner the respect of your fellow peers, but seeing how you lack the respect for your professors, that will be twenty points from Gryffindor."

"My apologies, Professor Snape," Neville quickly spoke without a word of protest. "I will not forget the use proper titles, sir."

"Very good, Mister Longbottom," Severus spoke with a skeptical tone. "It would do you well to remember."

Hermione watched the Potion Master carefully as he walked away as silently as he came in. Her eyes could not help but glance towards Draco and Blaise who have become outcasts ever since Cyril became a prominent Slytherin. As she watched the two, Hermione noticed that Blaise had a worried look across her face. Draco looked as if he wanted to say something, but Blaise held him back.

"Why did Professor Snape pay a visit to the library?" Neville asked curiously.

_Yes, why did the professor visit the library?_ Hermione asked herself._Professor Snape was very knowledgeable about potions, ingredients and the process, so what purpose would a visit to the library have? More importantly, why would the professor be accompanied by Draco and Blaise? If Professor Snape wished to give the two private lessons, he would have done it in the dungeons where there was more than enough supplies and information._

"Neville, what _Professor_ Snape does with his time is none of our concern at the moment," Vicki spoke aloud. "We _are _working on his toughest assignment thus far."

"How often does Snape visit the library?" Neville asked in counter of Vicki's statement.

"I don't know," Vicki answered. "We've only been here a couple months."

"Well, something is up that Snape would have him consort the Restricted section for answers," Neville said, going in a different direction.

"Okay, you lost us," Pavarti said for the girls. "First of all, I haven't heard of anything come up. Second, how do you know that he came from the Restricted Section?"

"There's only one aisle between us and the restricted section in the direction Professor Snape approached us in," Hermione answered the second of Pavarti's two questions. "The aisle only has books on Ancient Runes."

"That leaves us with only one question, what's going on that the professors don't want us to know about?" Lavender asked.

"Remember the troll incident?" Ron spoke in Neville's place. "Trolls are too dumb to be able to get past Hagrid and enter Hogwarts undetected not to mention their gigantic size."

"What are you saying?" Demelza asked, fearful of the answer. "Someone let the troll in?"

"Not just someone," Ron spoke the words the five girls feared, "A professor let the troll into Hogwarts."

"And you think it's Sn-?" Lavender almost cried out but Ron clasped his hand over her mouth.

"Hush!" Neville said quickly in a hushed voice. "What I'm telling you is knowledge that is very dangerous to know about. You mustn't speak about this or let anyone overhear you talking about this, understand?"

As Lavender, Pavarti, Vicki and Demelza nodded in agreement, it made Hermione think about recent events. _Professor Snape had shown up to the girl's bathroom that night and his leg was injured. The injury was moderate, but it did not come from battling trolls as James Evans killed three while Neville and Ron disabled the fourth. The incident was spread quickly around with only two details changed: One troll entered Hogwarts that night, not four and James Evans did not come to aid. Why the cover-up? Was there something the other three trolls had in- James Evans. Why would the professors hide the fact that James Evans had killed three of the four trolls? Why would the professors not want James Evans to be mentioned when he did defend me, Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus that night in the Forbidden Forest? What connected the dots that would lead to why the professors would want to keep the involvement of James Evans a secret?_ Even with so many questions raging in her head, Hermione listen to Neville in hopes that he could answer some of her questions.

"At the end of the summer, someone broke into Gringotts to steal from a vault that my mother emptied earlier that morning," Neville began explaining. "It was not mentioned anywhere as whatever was in the vault my mother delivered here to Hogwarts. Whatever was in that vault must have been important to keep away from the world, and what safer place to keep something hidden than Hogwarts?"

"What could possibly be so important that would be needed to be moved into Hogwarts?" Lavender asked, voicing the question in everyone's minds.

"We don't know, but whoever wanted what was in the vault could have only known that it was here in Hogwarts if they were a professor at Hogwarts," Ron continued the theory Neville was explaining.

"And what better way to try and steal it than creating a diversion; a diversion involving a troll that could terrorize students who are completely defenseless against a monster?" Neville finished with a question.

"Does Professor Dumbledore know about this?" Pavarti cried out as quietly as she could.

"Yes, but he says he's worried about Snape," Neville answered to which everyone except Hermione immediately agreed to.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, I forgot you didn't grow up in our world," Vicki said as she turned to Hermione. "Well, during the war with You-Know-Who, Professor Snape was one of his supporters. When the war ended, Professor Dumbledore and Neville's father vouched for him."

"If Professor Dumbledore and the Minister vouched for him, then shouldn't we trust him?" Hermione followed with another question.

"No. But everyone knows Professor Snape was a slippery one," Demelza answered. "If you haven't forgotten, Professor Snape is a Slytherin. They strive for power, so at the time, allying himself with Professor Dumbledore and the Longbottoms would have been the best choice."

"So you think Professor Snape is going to betray Professor Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic?" Hermione asked the next obvious question. "Why would he do that? What could he possibly gain?"

While Hermione asked those questions, a couple things clicked into place. James Evans had told her that Voldemort had returned. That night in the Forbidden Forest, James had noted Voldemort was in the forest as well which meant that there was a chance Voldemort was near Hogwarts or in Hogwarts itself. Voldemort must have been the one who set the trolls loose inside the halls of Hogwarts. Or in league with whoever was responsible. The target was whatever was hidden on the third floor of Hogwarts. Whatever was hidden there must be something that could restore Voldemort to his former glory.

"Hermione," Ron said with a 'this is so obvious' tone, "once you're a Death Eater, you're always a Death Eater. There's no going back."

"Oh," Hermione replied. "So it's kind of like the Mafia."

"The what?" Everyone asked.

"Mafia," Hermione repeated. "It's a Muggle thing. Think of it like a Muggle version of Death Eaters. Kind of."

"Okay, whatever," Neville said as he did not understand. "Anyways, Snape is definitely still a Death Eater and he's probably after whatever is hidden here."

"And whatever is hidden must be something powerful enough to bring about a new age of dark witches and wizards," Ron continued.

No. Hermione disagreed. Not a new age. A restoration of the previous age. A restoration of Voldemort and his Death Eaters' power. Whatever was stored in Hogwarts was important to both sides. Professor Snape seemed like a good candidate to steal whatever was stored. If Professor Snape were in league with Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore would immediately know about it. Professor Snape did receive an injury on the night of the trolls and did not hide the injury in any way. Professor Dumbledore must have noticed it and inquired about it. Perhaps that was where the suspicion started, but if someone wanted to steal something of great importance, one would try to leave as few trails as possible whether they succeeded or failed. Since the attempt failed, Professor Snape would no longer be the best candidate as all eyes are on him.

However, the presence of Draco and Blaise with the professor did make Hermione skeptical of the claim as well. It seemed the two were under protective custody under Professor Snape. They were now outcasts from their own house simply because they refused to side with Cyril. Taking on the care of two students would only burden someone who was tasked to steal something of great value from Hogwarts.

There was also how Professor Snape paid very close attention to Harry. Hermione would have never noticed if Professor Snape had not asked about Harry after the incident earlier today; the incident where Harry fell down a flight of stairs and was hit by his own weapon. Hermione noticed that the professor only asked about falling down the stairs; well, indirectly so. Professor Snape had ignored Harry's weapon even though it was a big commotion due to the girls of Gryffindor spreading around the story of how Harry subdued Kessler. It was not like the Potion Master to miss any details, so Hermione wondered if it was purposefully done.

_Which side was Professor Snape on? _Hermione could not help but ask herself. _Is he with Voldemort or against Voldemort?_

Voldemort. Hermione only then realized that the name came naturally to her. A name she once feared to hear no longer froze her as it once did.

_Once?_The work echoed in Hermione's mind. The only times she remembered hearing Voldemort spoken aloud was when she was with James Evans or Harry. However, while the name did shake her up, Hermione was not frozen in fear. Yet she remembers her body locking up upon hearing the name. James Evans used Voldemort the night in the Forbidden Forest and the night the trolls attacked. Harry used Voldemort when… _When did Harry use Voldemort?_

When Hermione asked that question, a flow of memories returned to her. She remembered what she had forgotten the day on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione had forgotten how many times Harry spoke the name Voldemort without a single ounce of fear. In fact, Harry had spoken the name Voldemort so forcefully and so familiarly that Hermione was not frozen in fear because Harry had said the name, but rather how it seemed like Harry had a connection to Voldemort. A connection that was not good. A connection that seemed to empower Harry as well as destroy him at the same time. Malice, hatred, anger, sorrow, helplessness, regret and despair all poured out from Harry's words. It poured out the same way it poured out when James talked about Voldemort.

Hermione suddenly closed her books and packed them away before saying, "Sorry Neville, I just remembered something I have to do. We'll meet again to talk about this and Professor Snape's assignment soon. I promise."

"What is it, Hermione?" Lavender asked as she looked at Hermione with a confused face.

"I just remembered something I wanted to ask Blaise," Hermione said quickly. It was the truth, as Hermione wanted to ask Blaise if she had seen Harry, but Hermione was not about to tell her friends and newfound friends about that. Especially if her suspicions about a connection between Harry and James were true.

"What is it?" Pavarti asked, now curious as to why Hermione would socialize with a member of their rival house.

"I'll tell you about it later," Hermione said weakly. She did not want to talk about it, as Hermione was not sure if she wanted to know the truth yet.

"Wait," Neville called out, catching everyone's attention. "You're friends with Blaise, right, Hermione?"

"Yes…" Hermione replied after a pause, as she did not know what it was Neville wanted.

"Then you can perhaps ask her about Snape," Ron put out into the open.

Yes, she could ask Blaise about Professor Snape and that would be a good way to solve two of her problems: confirm or deny her suspicions of Professor Snape and provide an alternative answer to her roommates whom she promised a reason to why she wanted to talk to Blaise. "That was what I was going to do," Hermione lied quickly before walking away in a hurry.

Hermione quickly made her way down to the Dungeons where the entrance to the Slytherin House was, but she was suddenly pulled away from her path into a hidden corridor. A hand clasped over her mouth preventing her from screaming while a voice whispered into her ear, "You shouldn't be here, Hermione."

Hermione turned her eyes into the darkness and when her eyes adjusted, she saw the face of Draco Malfoy standing close beside her. "I need to talk to Blaise," Hermione said quickly after pulling Draco's hand away.

"Can't it wait?" Draco asked in a hushed voice. "This is Slytherin territory; my brother's territory. Have you _any _idea what he would do to you?"

"What does your brother have against me?" Hermione asked, now curious about Draco's warning.

"For starters, you're a Mudblood. A Muggleborn. Slytherins hate Muggleborns the most. Blood purity and all. Second, you're the person Harry holds the closest." Draco answered.

"Why would Harry hold me the closest?" Hermione followed, as she could not understand why Harry would hold her close when she has done nothing but push him away.

"I don't know. Blaise says that there are two people here Harry holds very close and you're one of the two. Also, Cyril somehow has come to the conclusion that hurting you would hurt Harry the most. You're important to Harry, Hermione, there's no doubt about that; and Harry is the one who has not only defied my brother, but also defeated my brother." Draco answered the best he could.

"But Harry is always with Blaise! It doesn't make any sense!" Hermione reasoned.

"It doesn't, but in life, few things do. You're important to Harry and that's enough reason for me to try and keep you away from my brother the best I can," Draco replied.

"And why would you do that?" Hermione asked, now more curious of Draco's actions.

"Hermione, you ask too many questions," Draco said quickly as he looked away. "Look, you came here looking for Blaise. That should be your focus."

"I wanted to ask Blaise where Harry was," Hermione replied as she decided not to pursue her previous question. "And also whether you and Blaise think Professor Snape still is a Dea-"

Again, Draco's hand went over Hermione's mouth. This time it was to stop her from completing her sentence. "You're asking a very dangerous question, Hermione. Don't dig too deep into it. In fact, stop digging and don't try to understand it either. While the truth my comfort you, but the price is too great. The price must not be paid, especially for you."

"You're not making any sense!" Hermione cried out as she pulled Draco's hand away. "What is it that you know that you aren't telling me? Why is it so important to keep me away? And why is it that you fear for my safety?"

"Look, Hermione," Draco said sternly, "in some way, you're important to Harry. Very important. Only Harry can answer why you're important to him. It may not be apparent now, but in the future, you will see and understand. Right now, you're weaker than anyone in Hogwarts and I'm not talking about your magic potential. You have been alone all your life with no family and no friends. You have no one to support you outside of Hogwarts. You have no one to lean on once the school session is over. The places your questions will lead you are places you're not ready to face yet. Places that will destroy you and leave you as an empty shell to walk this Earth. If that should happen to you, Harry would be crushed."

"Then how do I become strong?" Hermione asked immediately.

Draco had not expected Hermione to react this way. Any normal person would turn away in fear and Hermione seemed like the person who would. It was apparent that courage was not her strong suite the moment Draco met Hermione. Courage was not something Hermione had a lot of. The little courage she had allowed her to stay in Hogwarts; but that was because she was more afraid of returning to the world outside of these halls. Yet, in spite of Draco's cold-hearted warning of what could happen if Hermione tried to investigate the Death Eaters, Hermione responded with confidence and strength.

Draco realized that this was not the same Hermione Jane Granger as the one that walked into Hogwarts not long ago. Hermione was orphaned from birth. She was left in a Muggle hospital shortly after her birth. No one really knows why she was left behind at the time and no one went to claim her. To this day, the reason behind why she was left behind was never given. However, Draco and Blaise recently found a clue to her orphaning. On September 19, 1980, the day Hermione was born, there were two couples named Granger giving birth to daughters. By coincidence, the fathers had the same name and the mothers had similar names. Also by coincidence was how both couples gave the same first name to their daughter and a similar middle name. One couple was Sander and Roselyn Granger who gave birth to Hermione Jean Granger. The second couple was Sander and Rose Granger who gave birth to Hermione Jane Granger.

When Sander and Rose Granger left the hospital that day, they carried Hermione Jean Granger with them not knowing that their real daughter, Hermione Jane Granger, remained in the hospital. Sander and Roselyn were shocked to find that the hospital had mixed up the two girls due to the similarities in their names and the names of their parents. Not wanting Jane, they set off to find Sander and Rose but their search was of no use. It was not until five years ago when a car accident made the headlines in the newspaper that things changed. The car accident involved three people: Sander Granger, Rose Granger and Hermione Jean Granger (although at the time she was known as Hermione Jane Granger). Hermione Jean survived the car accident and Sander and Roselyn took Hermione Jean into their family, as it should have been from the start, and told the world that Sander and Rose stole their daughter destroying their names forever.

While Hermione Jean had received two pairs of loving and caring parents, Hermione Jane was left alone in the orphanage without knowing about the events surrounding her birth. Hermione Jane grew up in the orphanage alone because she was peerless in her studies. Had Hermione Jane been born to a family of the magical community, she would have been the "Brightest Witch of the Century", not Cho Chang. In spite her environment, Hermione Jane was still able to keep up with Ravenclaws through her own studies in preparation to enter Hogwarts. However, Hermione Jane remained alone in her studies. Few people approached Hermione Jane at Hogwarts, as she was the only orphan enrolled in the school. The only person who neither knew nor cared was Harry Potter, a boy who was once a squib but entered Hogwarts a wizard. Harry Potter, a boy who ignored the powers that rule and took a stand to do what was right. A boy who had no political power (because his family at the bottom of the magical society) fought the most powerful and most influential figures simply because he believed they were wrong. Harry Potter, a boy who rocked the wizarding world, had changed what Draco thought was his destiny. Draco decided to place his destiny into the hands of Harry and decided to be one of the few who would protect those Harry held close when was not there.

"Time. It takes time to become stronger, and in time, you will become strong, Hermione." It was odd saying those words. Draco had once thought he was strong. He had once thought he was enough to support his two younger sisters. When Harry came to his aid against Cyril, Draco recognized, for the first time, how weak he was. In his moment of weakness, Draco reached out for hope and found Harry. Blaise had told Draco Harry could be trusted, but Draco trusted no one. However, when Harry came to his aid when there was no reason for Harry to help, Draco began to trust Blaise's words. Draco decided to place his future in the hands of Harry and as a way to repay Harry, Draco decided to be the one who protected those close to Harry when he could not be around. "There's no guidebook to becoming strong. We become stronger in our own way, Hermione, and you will find your way to becoming strong."

"What if I don't have time?" Hermione asked. When she arrived at Hogwarts, Hermione thought she could just remain a ghost, as she had been her entire life. It was easy being invisible to the public eye. It was also easy to live invisible. However, things changed when Hermione's life crossed paths with Harry Potter. Things changed even more when James Evans stepped into her world. Two people whose lives and actions are uncannily similar. Two people who feel as if they should be- no. Two people who feel as if they are one person. One single person trying to change the world. One person trying to save the world. One person trying to do the right thing. One person trying to do what a million others should be doing. This one person removed the cloak Hermione had placed around herself. This one person made Hermione believe that her life had meaning when she once believed otherwise. This one person lent her strength when she had none.

"Hermione," Blaise spoke as she stopped right outside of the hidden corridor. "We still have plenty of time to become strong. Don't try to do too much too fast. As for the initial reason why you've come, Harry should still be in his room."

"Thanks," Hermione said quickly before leaving Draco and Blaise alone.

"Do you think she understood?" Draco asked Blaise as he walked out of the corridor.

"She understood. Hermione is smart enough to understand without us telling her," Blaise responded. "But my eyes tell me that she's not going to listen."

"Should we stop her?" Draco followed with another questions, but Blaise did not have time to answer.

"Mister Malfoy and Miss Zabini," a cold snide voice rang in the hallway. "I do believe I told the two of you to stay in your rooms, did I not?"

"Yes, Professor Snape," Draco responded quickly as he turned towards the direction of the voice.

"Then why are you standing in the halls?" Snape asked as he walked over to the two. "Perhaps there's something the two of you wish to tell me?"

"No, Professor," Blaise answered for the two before Draco could speak. "We were just returning to our rooms."

"Good," Snape said as he watched Blaise and Draco enter the Slytherin Dormitory. He waited a few more moments to confirm that the two would not return before saying aloud, "Professor Quirrell, I do hope you are not _spying _on our students for I'd hate to have to ask you why it is that you are secretly watching students."

"N-no, Pr-profes-sor. I-I wass not s-spying on s-stud-dents," Quirrell responded as he walked out from the shadows. "I w-was merely ma-making s-sure the st-tudents re-return-ed s-saf-fely. Y-you kn-know, with t-trolls a-and all."

"Well then, I suppose that is why you have your wand drawn behind your back," Snape reasoned as he turned around to walk away. "You can never be too careful when _trolls _suddenly waltzed into Hogwarts. Be on your way, Professor. I assure you, the students of my house are perfectly safe."

"Ve-very w-well, Pr-prof-fessor," Quirrell said with a bow before walking down the hall in a different direction.

"Now for the other eavesdropper," Snape said as he walked over to the end of the corridor where Hermione was standing. "Miss Granger, why, may I ask, were you eavesdropping?"

"Well, I…" Hermione started, but her throat tightened in nervousness. Right before her stood Professor Snape, her Potion Master, Head of the House of Slytherin and a suspected former Death Eater.

"Walk with me, Miss Granger," Snape ordered as he continued down the hall. "Do you want to be in trouble?"

"No." Hermione responded softly as she held her head down while walking a few steps behind Snape.

"Because if you have not noticed, it is past the curfew. All students should be in their respective rooms by this time. If not, you, Miss Granger, should know very well what the consequences are," Snape lectured as he led Hermione to Professor McGonagall's office. When he knocked on the door, he said, "Hello, Professor, I found one of yours wandering about near the Slytherin Dormitory."

"Come in," a stern voice filled with disappointment spoke.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Hermione winced as she stepped into the room followed by Snape.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall responded in sheer shock. "Of all the Gryffindors, I would have never suspected that you would miss the curfew."

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall, but I was looking for Harry," Hermione answered only to realized that she had not wanted to tell the professors about it.

"And why were you looking for Mister Potter near the dungeons?" McGonagall asked curiously.

"I…" Hermione began, but she did not know how to answer without giving away her intentions.

"Well, it doesn't matter," McGonagall said with a sigh. "Ten points from Gryffindor and you have detention with Mr. Filch. Now return to your room."

"Wait," Hermione blurted out. "There's something I want ask you privately."

"Very well," Snape said as he turned around. "I do have a bit of business to attend to."

"Good night, Professor," McGonagall said as Snape left the room. "What is it that you wished to ask?"

"Is there a chance Professor Snape is trying to steal something of great value that is stored on the third floor of Hogwarts?" Hermione asked directly.

"What are you talking about?" McGonagall asked, slightly pale.

"Professor, someone broke into Gringotts at the end of summer to steal from a vault that was emptied that very morning. Gringotts is supposedly the most secure place for storage next to Hogwarts. To break into Gringotts to steal something, that something must be very important. If Gringotts was not safe enough to store something of that importance, the only place left is Hogwarts. If someone wanted to steal something from Hogwarts, they would need a very big distraction, know the location and have access to Hogwarts. Only a professor at Hogwarts would know that something is hidden in Hogwarts and also know exactly where it is." Hermione responded.

McGonagall let out a deep sigh as she said, "Miss Granger, you are a very bright girl, but you should leave this task to the adults. A child like you should be enjoying Hogwarts and your studies to become a proper witch."

"I know, Professor, but I can't help but suspect Professor Snape because of his history as a Death Eater," Hermione said quickly. "And there's a chance Voldemort may return since he's feeding from… um…"

"Miss Granger, what is it that you know?" McGonagall said with an angry tone.

"Voldemort was feeding off of unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest."

"Who told you this?"

"James Evans said that on the night we were in the Forbidden Forest. That was why Hagrid was out in the Forbidden Forest searching for what was killing unicorns. James Evans also said Voldemort was in a spectral form," Hermione answered honestly. "Professor, why is it that the world doesn't know Voldemort is still alive?"

"Miss Granger, during the days of You-Know-Who, people lived in constant fear. Those who survived would much rather forget those days than admit that there is a chance of it returning," McGonagall replied. "If what you say about You-Know-Who is true, then you must try and stay as far away from this as possible. You are too young to have to deal with this. Now return to your room and try to keep away."

"What about Professor Snape?"

"Professor Snape is one of the professors protecting it. If he wanted it, he could have easily taken it away," McGonagall replied. "Now return to your room. I don't want to see or hear about you asking anymore questions after today."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione replied before leaving the office and slowly making her way to her room. A smile grew across her face as Hermione realized that she was becoming stronger. It may have been small, like confiding in a professor or starting over with Neville, but those steps were a good start.

* * *

**Author's Note: **The Jane and Jean story is a bit confusing and I tried my best to not make it so, but to completely tell the Jane and Jean story would be difficult since only one character knows the whole story and that character isn't narrating the story. If you have any questions, feel free to leave it in a review or PM me. 


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